Shake the Glitter Off
by jaded river hussie
Summary: What happens in Vegas does not always stay in Vegas. It's the smallest things that can cement an everlasting bond between two people. Mainly Drake/Mindy, with some Josh/Mindy. NOW COMPLETE; sequel in the works.
1. Dance into the Fire

**Title: **Shake the Glitter Off

**Rating:** overall T: for language, alcohol use, and sexuality

**Pairings: **Drake/Mindy, Josh/Mindy

**Spoilers:** General series spoilers.

**Summary: ** What happens in Vegas does not always stay in Vegas. It's the smallest things that can cement an everlasting bond between two people.

**Author's note:** So, I've been toying around with this idea and working on an (epic 5 page extended) outline for it since early August. Seeing two other Drake/Mindy in Vegas fics seemed like a sign to start writing and posting.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters or locations (unless otherwise noted) or songs referenced; title taken from the Katy Perry song "Waking Up in Vegas."

This part was originally intended to be a _brief_ prologue. It's almost 3,000 words. Also: _Reviews are love! :-)_

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><p><em>Shut and put your money where your mouth is<em>

_That's what you get for waking up in Vegas_

_Get up and shake the glitter off your clothes now_

_That's what you get for waking up in Vegas  
><em>

Mindy only goes with Josh to Las Vegas because he begs her and occasionally jokes about getting drunk and marrying some random woman. It was a just for the weekend. They had plans to catch one of Drake's last shows, meet up with him for dinner, and then go dancing. It'll be a good chance for them to work some things out because while neither of them will say it, their relationship has changed. It's not that it's broken or breaking but that it's reached a staleness, a stasis. It's a chance to jump start their relationship.

As one of Drake's managers (on paper and more or less in name only), Josh chooses to watch the concert with Mindy from the wings of the stage. She moves to the music with Josh. Drake's playing a ballad, Josh and Mindy are slow dancing, her head resting on his shoulder. He whispers that it would be funny if they eloped, she chuckles and playfully hits him on the arm. It's almost like old times, their high school puppy love, when he could make her laugh and feel butterflies at the same time.

The concert ends and Drake suggests that Josh and Mindy wait at the hotel's casino while he does a quick meet and greet with fans and gets cleaned up. Josh gets so caught up playing Texas Hold 'Em that he tells Drake and Mindy to go to the restaurant without him—he'll meet them shortly.

The third chair at the table remains empty throughout dinner. Every few minutes or so, Mindy opens her purse and peeks at her cell phone to see if Josh has called or text, a small frown of disappointment appearing for a moment before she huffs lightly. Surprisingly, she and Drake manage to be civil towards one another, for the most part, but that probably has more to do with the fact that they spend most of their meal in silence. Drake asks about the flight and how their room is and how her food is, the wine. Mindy asks about the tour even though she cannot count the ways in which she does not care; she lets it slip, bitterly, that she'd actually been looking forward to going out dancing which is looking more and more unlikely since Josh is trying to blow all his money gambling. Drake mutters something about how they could still go if she really had her heart set on it. They're both shocked when Mindy accepts his offer.

In the back of the towncar, Drake mixes himself a drink and Mindy calls Josh; when he doesn't answer, she leaves a message then sends him a text, just for good measure. Mindy alternates between picking at imaginary flecks of lint on her skirt with one hand and the fingers of her other hand drumming against the seat between her and Drake. He starts getting annoyed until he realizes that she's keeping the beat of the songs on the radio in double time.

"Huh."

"What?"

He shakes his head, "Nothing."

They don't say anything else for the few reminding minutes of the ride. The car stops, the driver exits, swiftly walking around the car to rear passenger side door, opening it for Drake. Drake slides out and steps aside, holding his hand out to help Mindy out of the car. She stares at his hand for a second, as if she's afraid that he has an invisible joy buzzer or something in his palm, before placing her hand on his. As soon as she's standing straight, he instantly drops her hand; it doesn't escape her attention when he wipes his hand against his jeans, like he's trying to wipe the germs off.

"I have hand sanitizer in my purse," she says snidely.

He doesn't bother looking at her as he walks through the front entrance of the club, "Habit. And I'm pretty sure that I've grown immune to your germs."

They step into the elevator and Mindy can't help but to get in a dig, "Yeah, well, I'm sure several trips to the free clinic and a healthy regimen of antibiotics would have you feeling pretty damn invincible by now."

"You can take the girl out of the bitch but you can't take the bitch out of the girl."

She opens her mouth then closes it, choosing her words carefully, "Like you said, 'habit.'"

As the elevator ascends, Mindy fiddles with the straps of her top, making sure that they're tight and not twisted.

"Are you always so anal?"

"Yes. Are you always bedraggled?"

"What?"

"Scruffy, unkempt, disheveled?"

He shrugs as the elevator stops, "My female fans like me this way; they think I'm hotter."

She snorts, the elevator doors open. Drake gestures for her to go first and he follows her out, placing his hand on the small of her back. Mindy jerks, stopping, and Drake pushes her forward, telling her that it's just to emphasize that she's there with him and not some hanger on. There are at least a few dozen people waiting, the line snaking around the corner. The bouncer spots Drake, nods in acknowledgement, then jerks his head, giving him the go ahead to bypass the line and go straight into the club.

Mindy checks her phone again and Josh has just responded to her text: _One more game_. She rolls her eyes and shoves her phone back inside her purse. Drake pushes a path to the bar and Mindy yells over the noise to the bartender that she just wants something citrusy and mild; Drake shakes his head at the bartender, holding up two fingers, "Jameson. Shots."

"I don't do shots."

"You're in Vegas, Josh is clearly blowing you off, and that guy over there is checking you out—loosen up and have some fun."

She bristles, "I'm not going to cheat on Josh."

"What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." She glares at him. The bartender places the shots in front of them and takes Drake's credit card. Mindy wrinkles her nose. Drake nudges the glass closer to her, "Dude, even I can tell that he's being an ass right now. That's coming from me. And I barely even like you."

"Don't call me, 'Dude,'" she says, picking up the small glass, scrutinizing the rich golden liquid.

"Whatever." Drake raises his glass and says "Sláinte" before downing his hot. He sets the empty shot glass down on the bar, upside down. Mindy's still inspecting her drink. Drake sighs, "You gotta take it to the head."

"What?"

He's getting a little irritated; he wasn't planning on having to cheer Mindy up or distract her or whatever the hell. "Just slam it down!"

"All right," she shouts defensively. She takes a deep breath and quickly swallows the whiskey, sputtering a little, "Oh my god, how can you drink this?"

"First of many," he says, handing her another shot.

He's being nicer to her than he has ever been, nicer than she's ever deserved after that one time she tried to frame him. Every so often, it crosses her mind that she has never apologized for that. She raises her glass, "What was it you said before, sláinte?"

He leans closer to her so that he doesn't have to yell quite as loud, "Irish whiskey, Irish toast." He pulls back, his glass clinks against hers, "Sláinte!"

It still burns going down but it doesn't taste as bad as it did just moments before. Drake takes the empty shot glass from her and places it on the table. His fingers wrap loosely around her wrist and he leads her to the stairs leading to the lower half of the split-level club, the level that contains the dance floor. She starts doing calculations in her head: If she had two generous glasses of wine at dinner and normally never has more than three in an evening but now she's doing shots, she's probably going to feel the alcohol hit her soon. But she had plenty to eat and if she's dancing, her body's going to metabolize the alcohol better, and she knows to drink plenty of water.

Mindy's standing still on the dance floor and Drake can see the wheels turning in her head, the light bulbs going on and off, her brain probably trying to process the events of the night up until this point, "Stop thinking so much. God forbid you just let yourself have fun."

"Okay."

He takes her by the shoulders and turns her around, giving her a not-so-gentle push so that she bumps into some guy dancing with his buddies. Mindy starts trying to apologize but the guy clearly does not give a damn because the moment he turns around and sees that she's a girl, he boldly places a hand on her waist and starts dancing with her. She thinks about Josh and glances over her shoulder and sees Drake, his back to her, dancing with two girls and how did he do that so fast?

Breanna and Jade, BFFs, lavish Drake with praise and come-ons. Sure, they're both really hot but he doesn't do tag-teams and he'll just pretend that he doesn't get that they're both hitting on him and willing to share toys. He peeks around for Mindy every so often to make sure she's not freaking out or being drugged or otherwise assaulted. She seems to be making friends as such with the group of guys he shoved her into, her dance partners rotating after each song. After about an hour he loses sight of her and he starts to panic because he's pretty sure Josh is gonna be pissed if he doesn't keep an eye on Mindy. Or if one strand of hair on her perfect little head is out of place when she returns to the hotel since at this point it's clear that Josh is going to spend every last dime gambling this weekend away. And he was supposed to be the smart one. Drake scans the room and he spots her going up the stairs. He breaks away from the random blond he's been grinding against to try to catch up with Mindy and check on her.

She's perched on a stool at the bar, draining a glass of water. Her bangs are plastered to her forehead and he can see the beads of perspiration on her chest. He gently places a hand on her shoulder, and he expects her to jump and she does. She settles and actually smiles at him, "Hey! Shots?"

He frowns, "Have you had anything else to drink?" The last thing he needs is to find out that one of those guys did sneak her a drink because who knows what it might have been and what might have been in it.

She gives him a weird look, like she doesn't understand why he's worried, "I had another shot and now just finished chasing it with H2O. Weren't you the one who told me to have fun? I am. This is adrenaline and endorphins." The bartender slides two shots in front of them. Mindy picks one up, holding it just beneath the rim, and brings it to her lips then tosses her head back. Her movement is fluid as she places the empty glass onto the bar top, upside down, as she saw Drake do earlier, then picks up the other shot. She holds it out to Drake but as he reaches for it, she pulls it away and drinks it herself. She gives him a mischievous grin and he thinks that he's created a monster. She hops down off the stool, "You need to catch up, Drake. See you on the dance floor!"

He watches her sashay away, her hips swaying rhythmically to the music. He runs a hand over his face and sits on the stool that Mindy just vacated. He yells at the bartender for two double shots of Jameson, knowing there's a good chance that he's going to regret it in the morning because the night is relatively young and it's really not his job to baby-sit Josh's girlfriend. Fuck it. He downs the doubles in quick succession, like it's nothing, then heads back to the dance floor to find Mindy.

His eyes find her easily from the top of the stairs; she's dancing against some fratty looking type whose hands make a grab for her backside. Drake rushes down the stairs and through the crowd. By the time he reaches her, she's already removed the guy's hands from her butt but he seems to be going an alternate route, his fingertips brushing her outer thigh. She slaps his hand away and steps backward, colliding with Drake. His hand comes around to rest on her hip as she looks up and over her shoulder at him. Drake gives the sleazy guy a cocky grin as Mindy relaxes against him. The guy looks peeved and turns around and pushes through the crowd to find a more willing victim. Mindy lifts her head and yells over her shoulder, "Thanks. Not just for that but for tonight. You didn't have to do this."

"It's not so bad. You're not bad company when you're wasted."

She turns around to face him, bringing an arm up so that her hand rests on his shoulder, "You're not bad company when I'm wasted either!"

He leans down so that he can talk in her ear, "You should probably slow down a bit."

"What if I want to put the 'Sin' in Sin City?"

Drake would just chalk the seductive tone in Mindy's voice up to his imagination except that as she's speaking, she grinds against him. For a split second, a part of his brain tells him to let whatever happens happen and stay in Vegas despite the fact that he'd be taking advantage of her and that she's dating his brother/best friend. Luckily, his brain isn't completed fogged by alcohol yet. "Behave, Creature."

"You are so easy," she says triumphantly, the seduction gone from her voice. She sticks her tongue out at him and continues dancing against him.

"Does Josh know about this side of you?"

"Of course he doesn't! _I_ didn't even know about this side of me!"

He lets himself smile. He likes this side of her. If Mindy Crenshaw were remotely like this girl, he'd probably be friends with her—if he were friends with girls. He could see being "friends" with benefits with her definitely.

"Do you think Josh still loves me?"

To Drake, the question comes completely out of the blue. It's a stupid question as far as he can see because why else would Josh still put up with the cold and uptight Mindy Crenshaw. "Please don't be a sentimental, weepy drunk, Mindy."

"Answer my question. Please, Drake, he tells you things."

"Yeah, he tells me that he loves you, so, there you go. Doesn't he tell you that all the time?"

"He doesn't say it as much as he used to, neither of us do, but we do still love each other. I think that this weekend was supposed to be about us reconnecting," she stops dancing, her hand sliding down to his chest. "I know we managed to make the whole long distance relationship thing work while we were in college but ever since we've been able to spend more and more time together, things don't feel the same. What if we're growing apart?"

"I'm really not the guy to go to for actual relationship advice, you know that."

"But right now you're the closest friend I have that's not Josh. And you and I aren't even friends!"

He groans. This isn't the kind of conversation Drake could have sober, let alone drunk and he thinks that it's probably time for them to call it a night and join Josh back at the hotel. "Let's go close out our tab and get out of here, okay?"

"Where are we going next?"

"Hotel. I think we need to rest and wind down for a bit. Maybe get some room service. And retrieve Josh."

She pushes in front of him when they reach the bar and orders them both a glass of water as well as another shot. He pays for all of their drinks, including the last round, signing the receipt and taking his card back from the bartender.

She bounces and sways in the elevator, leans against him, her arm loosely looped through his. He wants to be annoyed and maybe a little disgusted but he just can't; he feels like she would be annoyed and disgusted at herself in this state. He's not supposed to be the responsible one, not ever. And the fact that now he is, kind of pisses him off a little. So, he decides to throw caution to the wind. He will not be held responsible for any trouble that he or Mindy gets into. At this point, it's not like either of them will remember anyway.


	2. Wake Me Up

**Author's Note:** Information regarding annulments in Las Vegas (Clark County), Nevada obtained from links found at the Self Help: Annulment portion of their court system's website; see first entry for all other pertinent info.

As long as my muse cooperates, since I do have this story rather thoroughly planned out in its entirety, this fic will be compromised of a total of approximately 16 installments. Originally, these first two parts were supposed to be one part, the prologue, but my muse had a lot more to say.

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><p>Mindy wants to die. She does not want to open her eyes, she does not want to try to get out of the bed, even though she's almost positive that she's less than sixty seconds away from throwing up. She has a vague recollection, though it might actually be a delusion, of Drake telling her to slow down. The fact, or thought alone, that Drake Parker was the voice of wisdom most mean that she has seriously fucked up, especially if she's wishing that she had followed his advice. She opens her eyes just enough so that she can see and scramble out of the bed and into the bathroom. She has never felt so miserable in her life. If she could just curl into a ball and feel no pain, she would be ecstatic. Why on God's green earth people purposefully do this to themselves, she will not understand in a million years—not after this excruciating pain. One hangover like this should be enough to make any sane person swear off alcohol completely or at least stick to a two or three drink maximum.<p>

Satisfied that she's done throwing up for the time being, she lifts her head and lets it rest on her left arm. She does not want to move from the bathroom floor, leaning against the toilet. Her head just aches and her stomach is taking out its revenge on her for all of the alcohol she consumed and she feels like crying because the pain is just that bad. She doesn't know how long she sits there before she realizes that she's naked. She does not sleep in the nude. It's then that she becomes aware of the internal aching between her legs and she feels like her life has suddenly become a PSA on the dangers of drinking. She's terrified as she opens the bathroom door just enough to peek at the bed. She's actually a little relieved to see Drake in the bed, his head turned towards the bathroom as he lays on his stomach, still asleep, snoring, instead of some random stranger. Her relief is outweighed by the bile rising and her regret at betraying Josh, whether she remembers doing so or not. She closes the door and presses her forehead against it. She resists the urge to scream when she catches sight of the dull golden band adorning her left ring finger, "Oh you have got to be kidding me."

After she processes what the ring means, she moves on autopilot. She starts the shower and fills a small plastic cup with cold tap water. She knows that she's dehydrated, the capillaries in her brain have constricted so tightly that she's sure she'll have to drink at least a gallon of water to begin easing the pain in her head. One cup of water is followed by another cup and then another. The water flowing from the showerhead is warm and the pressure feels wonderful. There's something that's more like an instinct, intuition, than a memory. She feels, she knows, that it wasn't an experience completely lacking in pleasure but this is not how she planned to lose her virginity and certainly not with whom. She and Josh had discussed having sex and they were both on the same page: They would wait until they were married, or engaged at least, before they went _all_ the way. Sex was supposed to be a physical expression of intimacy that heightened the love that they shared. Mindy had always believed that sex without love was tawdry and beneath her. It's not something good girls did. And yet she had.

This is not at all how she hoped this weekend would go.

Drake awakens, head pounding, to the sound of the shower running. He turns over and sits up, the room coming into focus. At least he made it back to his own room. The messy sheets, the indent on the other pillow are an indication that he didn't spend the night alone. He has a nagging fear that he banged his brother's girlfriend and he hates himself (and her) for it. He really hopes that whoever walks out of the bathroom is not Mindy Crenshaw because he doesn't think he'll ever be able to forgive himself if it is. And if he can't forgive himself, then there is no way in Hell that Josh will ever be able to forgive him.

Where the hell is Josh?

Mindy dries herself off and pulls on a terrycloth robe that falls just below her knees. She drinks some more water. She takes a deep breath, hoping it's not too much to ask that Drake is still asleep and won't wake until after she sneaks out. She does a perfect imitation of a deer caught in the headlights when she sees Drake sitting on the edge of the bed, boxers on, swallowing a couple of pills. She clears her throat, "Hi."

"Hi."

She raises her left hand, wiggling her ring finger, "Do you have one of these?"

He looks down at both of his hands and sure enough, there's a ring on his left hand too. "Shit."

They're both a helluva lot calmer than they ever would have expected themselves or the other to be in this situation. Not that either of them ever consider this a possibility but as it stands, neither of them is flipping the fuck out, so that's a plus. Maybe Drake is growing up. Maybe Mindy isn't such a bitch.

She tugs the ties of the robe tighter, "We should get this annulled as soon as possible. So that Josh doesn't find out."

"We have to tell Josh."

"No, we don't. I don't remember what happened; do you?"

"Not really."

She avoids looking at him as she begins searching around the room for her clothes, "So, nothing to tell. We get an annulment and that means that this never happened."

"One problem: I think we might have had sex."

She stops and glares at him, "I know we had sex."

"How do you kn—oh. Oh." He looks away from her, "I didn't know. I thought you and Josh—"

"Stop. I do not want to make a big deal out of this."

"What do you—we're married, we had sex! You and me!"

"What happens in Vegas—this is all going to stay here. It is not going to follow us out of this town. We get dressed, we find a courthouse, we get an annulment and we never breathe a word about any of this to anyone ever." She gives him a pleading look, "Drake, how do think Josh will react? If he overreacts over small things, do you think that he will ever get over this? Because I don't."

He knows that she's right about Josh. And it's not like they're ever going to sleep together again. And getting an annulment erases the marriage so it would be moot to mention it. "Fine. We'll do this your way."

"It's in everyone's best interest, Drake. I'm not treating you like the villain so don't try to make me out as one."

He orders room service (dry toast, bacon, orange juice, coffee) and gets into the shower. Before he goes into the bathroom, he informs Mindy that there's some Pepto and Tylenol in the nightstand. She feels a little grimy when she pulls her clothes from the night before on. She grabs a piece of toast, hoping it will help settle her stomach, and leaves Drake a note, letting him know that she went back to her and Josh's room to change.

She's disappointed yet relieved to find their room empty. The king-sized bed looks like it's barely been slept in, so at least Josh got some sleep. She wonders if he missed her last night, if he's even noticed that she stopped bothering to check on him. She hasn't heard a word from Josh since she and Drake arrived at the club. Maybe this whole thing is a sign that she just needs to stop holding on so desperately. Except that every other time that she and Josh have let each go over the past seven years, they've always come back to one another. So maybe this is the end and the beginning.

She's pulled from her thoughts by someone knocking on the door. She knows it's Drake because who else would it be? Unless Josh lost his room key. Drake's standing in the hallway, wearing sunglasses, a piece of toast hanging out of his mouth, "You ready?"

"Yeah."

The ride to the courthouse is a silent one. When they arrive, they're both dismayed to find out that the process of getting an annulment is not as quick and clean cut as Hollywood makes it out to be. They meet the qualifications: they were married in Clark County and there was a lack of understanding/insanity. Mindy asserts that both of them having been blackout drunk amounts to a lack of understanding. Drake, being ever so sensitive, mentions her time in the mental rehabilitation facility, or as he puts it, "that time she flew over the cuckoo's nest." Then there is a fee, which is not a problem, but the amount of paperwork that follows is ungodly. There are several packets and forms and different versions of some of them. It confuses both of them because they have to decide if they want to see the judge or just fill out and submit a Decree of Annulment – Summary Disposition. They opt for the Summary Disposition because the calendars are booked solid for the next couple of days and she and Josh are leaving tomorrow and it will hard to explain why she needs to stay or go back to Vegas. There are time limits and once everything has been signed and submitted, the clerks and the judge will get to the packet, hopefully within two weeks, and if (when) the judge grants the annulment, it will be filed and it will be official. It could take weeks for the process to be complete.

Mindy's smart but she's also still very hungover, so they sit down with a legal aide, who explains the packets, all of the forms within and the steps to them. If only eloping were so complicated.

They decide that Drake will file the complaint for annulment; there will be no counterclaim, so it shouldn't be a problem. Mindy watches over his shoulder as he starts working on the forms, criticizing him before he even begins. "Thank God I am not going to be stuck with you. Would you stop nagging?"

"I'm just trying to make sure that you don't screw up so that we can get this over with and get on with our lives."

"I liked you a lot better when you were drunk."

"And I probably liked you better when I was drunk." Mindy pauses. "Déjà vu."

Drake remembers them getting along, having fun, as if they had not spent almost half of their lives hating each other. She remembers him being nice to her. Her phone rings and it's Josh. She answers as cheerily as she can, "Hey, Cupcake."

_"Hey, Baby! Where are you? Are you with Drake? I've got some BIG news! HUGE!"_

She looks to Drake, slightly frantic, "Oh, you know, Drake was just showing me around."

She can hear the surprise and joy in his voice, _"Really? My lady and my brother are getting along? That's so AWESOME!"_

"I wouldn't say that we're getting along. There hasn't been any bloodshed, bruises, or broken bones."

_"Yeah, but you're trying. That means a lot to me. Anyway, you should get back to the casino ASAP! You'll never believe what's happened! Tell Drake to get his butt back here too!"_

"Uh, Drake has some business to attend to but I should be back in about an hour or so."

_"Well, hurry up!" _She can hear him hesitate. _"Hey, Mindy?"_

"Yeah, Josh?"

_"I love you."_

She closes her eyes. She feels relief and self-loathing surrounding her at the same time. "I love you too, Josh."

_"See you soon!"_

The phone call ends and she wants to throw her cell phone across the room and scream but she doesn't.

Drake doesn't ask any questions. If he wasn't already feeling guilty about the events from the previous night before, he would now. "Go on. I'll finish up here."

"Are you sure?"

He shrugs, "Yeah. Besides, I'll just ask someone with a law degree if I get stumped. It'll be fine."

"Thanks, Drake." She squints, almost like she's looking for something or she's trying to decipher what it is she sees. Or remembers. "I…thanks."

She pauses by a trash receptacle on her way out of the courthouse and pulls, twisting the cheap wedding band off her finger, then throws the ring into the garbage. It takes her a couple of minutes to flag down a taxi. She decides to take the elevator instead of the stairs to the room because she needs those last few minutes to mentally prepare herself. She's doing the right thing. She has second thoughts, doubt, as she slides the keycard into the door, quickly pulling it out. She hears it click, the red light going out, the green light coming on, then turns the handle and pushes the door open. "Josh?"

He steps into view, grinning and not at all looking like someone who's blown who knows how much money. He sweeps her into his arms, kissing her fervently as he lifts her off the ground, spinning her around. He sets her down and reluctantly pulls his lips from hers, "I made a profit."

"What?"

"I set aside a thousand dollars gambling money this weekend; I've turned that into $23,780."

She places her hands on his forearms and takes a step back so that she can really look at him, "You did what now?"

He gives her his signature goofy grin, it's one of the reasons she fell for him in the first place, "I was betting low the whole time and whenever I lost twice in a row, I switched games. I didn't mean to leave you alone last night, I just got so excited because this money could go towards our future. Together."

Her heart breaks a little, "Oh, Josh. I would so much rather have spent time with you. My family has money, I don't care about money."

"I know. Maybe I just want to be able to show your dad that one day I will be able to take care of his little girl just as well as he can."

"That is so sweet," she stands on her tiptoes and kisses him. It might be a little late but she says a small prayer that Drake does not mess up any of the paperwork.

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><p>Drake and Mindy fall into their old routine of alternating between ignoring one another and jabbing at each other, getting in their digs, the last day that Josh and Mindy spend in Sin City. They stay true to their agreement, neither of them speaking of or even hinting at what occurred. They make a minimal effort for Josh's sake to pretend to get along for a few minutes every now and then since it was implied that they had not been at each other's throats that morning.<p>

Josh suggests that they go out on the town, for the night of dancing, and a few drinks, that he believes they all missed out on the night before. Drake does his wingman thing and pulls Josh aside, suggesting that Mindy would probably prefer to spend some alone time with him, putting the 'sin' in Sin City. Josh gives him a nervous chuckle. It takes him several minutes to work up the nerve to ask Mindy if she's okay with them retiring early.

Even though he knows that their marriage is not real, that there is no love lost between them, Drake feels the tiniest twinges of jealousy stir every time Josh and Mindy touch. He doesn't like her but right now, she is his wife and Josh is his brother and he cannot come up with the words to describe how fucked up this whole thing is.

Mindy has been the aggressor in her relationship with Josh ninety-eight percent of the time and she feels her hangover starting to dissipate after lunch and by dinner she is ready to take on the world—and win. Despite being used to Mindy making the first more and urging him forward, he's more than a little surprised when her hand snakes down his pants, under his boxers, her warm hand sending bolts of electricity surging through him, when they're fooling around in their room. She plays coy because it's not like they haven't done _this_ before. Josh doesn't want her to do anything she doesn't want to do and she normally isn't straddling him and he gets that people act differently in Vegas, maybe because it's expected, but he just doesn't feel that this is right. No matter how good, _and it feels so damn good (and he is so close to giving in)_, it feels.

She wants nothing more than for him to give in to the temptation that she is offering, all of her (except for what Drake has already had) but he doesn't give in because he loves her. He respects her too much. She settles for kisses and cuddling, his hands roaming over her body, his fingers retracing paths that he knows well. She can hear the voice of her family's pastor in her head telling her that she's going to spend an eternity in damnation.


	3. Forget Me Nots

_**Six to Seven Weeks Later**_

It's almost flu season so Mindy doesn't think too much of it when she starts feeling a little under the weather. It's been exactly twenty-three days since the annulment became official and things could not be better. The parts of her trip to Vegas that she is willing to acknowledge (and that she clearly remembers) seemed to have worked in their intent. Things with Josh have not been this good since the summer break between their freshman and sophomore years of college, when they decided that they missed each other too much and that it was worth giving a long distance relationship a try. There are moments when they're alone that she doubts her vehemence in regards to never telling Josh about everything that happened in Las Vegas. But what's done is done and there's no way to justify telling him now.

It's been almost a month since Drake moved back to San Diego, once again sharing the upstairs corner bedroom with Josh. It's more than a little weird when he opens the door one evening, Josh having just eased Mindy's blouse off, and drops his suitcase and hard-shelled guitar case on the floor. Mindy gasps and struggles to put her top back on, fumbling with the buttons and he doesn't get why she's freaking out because he's seen it all already even though he doesn't remember actually seeing it. And, as he keeps reminding himself, she doesn't do it for him.

Later, Drake ignores Mindy when she suggests that he and Josh both grow up and get their own places. Drake points out that there's no point in him having his own place yet if he spends at least half the year touring, constantly trying to achieve mainstream success. Mindy derisively asks if enough time has to passed for him to officially be considered a one-hit wonder. Sensing an argument brewing, Josh takes control of the conversation and says that it makes better sense, at least for him, to stay there, and to save money for his future family. Mindy blushes and giggles and her voice sounds sugary when she says Josh's name and leans into him. Drake doesn't understand how they can still be so sickeningly cute together.

Family. It's a word that Mindy only thinks of in the context of her immediate and extended family, as well as Josh. Whatever worries she had before, regarding Josh, are long forgotten. They are having more and more conversations about _their_ future and _their_ family.

Audrey Parker-Nichols invites Mindy to join them for Sunday Brunch; Megan won't be down this weekend, and it'll be nice to have another woman around. Mindy arrives, a basket full of muffins, around ten a.m. She joins Audrey in the kitchen, pushing Josh back into the living room. She doesn't agree with the gender roles that society has set for them but if she's going help with brunch, she is going to help prepare the meal as much as Audrey will allow her to without the interference of any of the men in the house.

Pushing aside the knowledge of his brief, now never legal, marriage to Mindy is not as difficult as Drake expected it to be. It's just like ignoring or playing off all of his other past relationships, from girls that he dated to those that he just hooked up with. Sure, the number isn't quite as high as he lets people believe but that is neither here nor there. Once the Decree is formally filed, signed by the judge, and Drake and Mindy are no longer, and nor were they ever, legally man and wife, he feels a burden lifted.

Mindy can't quite pinpoint when it begins but her queasiness increases as she mixes the dredge for the French Toast. She starts gagging, "I'm sorry, Audrey. I think we should toss this out. I think I might be coming down with something."

"Don't worry about it. You do look a little green; maybe you should rest a little. I'll have one of the boys gets you when brunch is ready."

Mindy thinks nothing of it because she hasn't had a chance to get a flu shot and she's only been feeling a little ill for the past few days. She starts to doze off in the study and before she knows it, Josh is gently shaking her awake.

"Hey, you. You feeling okay?"

Her stomach is still acting up a little but not so bad that she can't fake it, "I'll be okay."

They're seated at the table, Audrey, Walter, Josh, Mindy, and Drake, the serving dishes being passed around. Mindy usually likes eggs but when Josh passes the plate of scrambled eggs to her, something about the smell causes her stomach to lurch and she rushes from the table before she has the chance to excuse herself. She's embarrassed and apologizes several minutes later when she returns.

"Not to worry," Audrey says, passing a pitcher of juice. "There is some nasty bug making its rounds." She chuckles, "Although I do remember, the thought of eggs alone was enough to make me sick when I was pregnant with both Drake and Megan."

The word 'pregnant' is almost enough to set Mindy's stomach churning again as what little color was left in her face drains out.

There's a coolness to the tone underlying the normal warmth of Audrey's voice, "You're not pregnant, are you, dear?"

Josh laughs easily, as if it is the most ridiculous thing that he has ever heard. And as far as he is concerned, it is. He takes Mindy's hand in his, still chuckling, "Oh, Mom, you kidder; there's no chance of that."

In the split second before they both force laughter from their bodies, Drake and Mindy's eyes meet, frantic. It's not possible. It's the one consequence that neither of them had considered. She knows that there was no reason for her to be on the pill and she was aware of Plan B but it never crossed her mind. How was she supposed to know that Drake hadn't used a condom? How was he supposed to know that she wasn't on the pill? How was he supposed to know that she wouldn't stop by a pharmacy and grab some Plan B just in case?

Audrey laughs, "I know, you're both good kids. But, you're both grown and you've been dating for a long time; it stopped being any business of ours what you do behind closed doors a few years ago, as long as those doors aren't in this house. Walter and I would understand and support you both if you merged into the express family planning lane. You do know that you can tell us anything, right?"

Drake interrupts, clearing his throat, "No offense, Mom, but I think that I'm about to lose _my_ lunch or breakfast or brunch."

Walter finally speaks up, "He's right. Some things just aren't meant to be discussed at mealtimes. But, if there was anything the two of you ever needed to tell us…"

"Mom, Dad, I can assure you both that Mindy is _not_ pregnant," Josh states firmly. He looks to his girlfriend, "Isn't that right?"

She pastes a smile on her face, "Uh-huh."

"See. Now, would someone please pass me the syrup?"

Mindy spends the rest of brunch trying not to throw up, stifling a gag every time someone at the table so much as lifts a forkful of eggs to their mouth, and avoiding making eye contact with Audrey and Drake. Mindy volunteers to wash the dishes since she wasn't much help cooking. Audrey tells her not to worry about it but she insists. Josh has started working part-time at The Premiere again, just until he gets a promotion at work, so he has to leave. She swears that she's fine but Walter volunteers Drake to assist her.

They spend exactly six minutes and thirty-four seconds in silence before Drake can finally bring himself to ask, "Are you pregnant?"

She has never looked more offended in her life, "No!"

He can't breathe a sigh of relief just yet. "Are you sure?"

"I don't know. No, okay? I hadn't thought about it."

"So, you might be?"

"I guess, I did just say that I don't know."

"Maybe you should take one of those home preg—"

She almost drops a plate, "Oh my God, could you not say that?"

"Say what?"

"Drake." She's chastising him like he's a young child.

"What?"

"We agreed—"

"Before we knew that there was a chance that you're having my kid!" He looks around and lowers his voice, "Mindy, if you're pregnant, this changes everything."

She turns off the faucet and struggles to keep her voice even, "Do you think that I don't know that? Because I'm pretty sure that it's going to impact my life a lot more than it's going to impact yours."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why would you being, you know, affect you more than me?"

"Because neither of us wants this, if it's happening! You don't take responsibility for anything, you wouldn't take responsibility for a child—"

"Yes I would!" he thunders. He might be a little on the irresponsible side but he would never _not_ take care of his own child. He's not a deadbeat. He knows he can be an ass, but really? Does she think that poorly of him?

They're both shocked by Drake's outburst. They both freeze and wait, hoping that neither Walter nor Audrey heard him.

Mindy takes a few calming breaths, "Look, there is no point in us getting all worked up about something that might not even be."

"You should take one of those tests."

"And I will."

"When?"

"I don't know. It's not like I carry one in my purse."

"You should do it soon."

"I'll get to it when I get to it, so how about you back off?"

Drake mumbles something about having a right to know as he flings the dishtowel down before storming out of the kitchen.

Mindy watches Drake leave, the door swinging harshly in his wake. Subconsciously, a hand flies to her lower abdomen. She doesn't want to think about it, she doesn't want to consider that it's a possibility. She can't be pregnant. She cannot. Not with Drake's child. Not when everything is going so right between her and Josh. She wallows in denial as she finishes the dishes and bids Audrey and Walter farewell before she leaves, thanking them for their hospitality and apologizing for being a less than stellar guest.

She drives in the direction of her small apartment when she leaves the Parker-Nichols residence. She stops by a drug store on her way home but she just sits in the parking lot for ten minutes trying to work up the nerve to go inside and buy a test. She swears under her breath as she starts her car back up and drives out of the lot. She hasn't wanted to cry this badly since the morning after her night with Drake. It's Sunday so the doctor's office is closed; she resolves to call in the morning at 8:30 a.m. sharp when they open to schedule an appointment. When she arrives home, she's inexplicably exhausted so she lays down on the sofa and falls asleep. She receives a rude awakening a few hours later in the form of an incessant knocking at the front door, accompanied by the sound of Drake occasionally bellowing of her name every few seconds. Groggy, she pushes herself up and walks to the door, "What do you want?"

He thrusts a brown paper bag at her, "Here."

"And what am I supposed to do with this?" she asks, taking the bag.

"It's a test, or, it has two in there, so you can take them both and be sure."

She feels her blood boiling, "Okay, what part of 'back off' did you not understand?"

"I don't know, what part of me wanting to know whether or not I got my brother's girlfriend knocked up did you not understand?"

"You can't just demand that I pee on a stick for you."

"Oh yeah? Watch me." There is a fierce intensity in his eyes, his arms are folded over his chest and she can say that she has never seen him look so determined.

"Well, lucky for you, I have to use the bathroom," she says more feebly than anything else, peeking into the bag.

As soon as Mindy steps into the bathroom in the hallway and closes the door behind her, a clock starts ticking in Drake's head and he has never been so impatient before. He doesn't know when she starts peeing on the stick or whatever she has to do for the test but he read the back of the box and knows that it should only take four to five minutes for the results to show. He hears the toilet flush followed by watering running in the sink and it feels like an hour has already passed. Mindy steps out of the bathroom and he can see the test stick sitting on the counter. He started the timer on his cell phone when he heard the sink running, five minutes.

They don't speak. So much of their relationship is silence, which is weird because they are both so vocal and opinionated. She's so numb that she can't even string together the words to form a prayer and even if she could, what would she ask God for? Part of Drake wants to hold her hand while they wait; a small part of her wants him to hold her hand but an even bigger part of her wishes that it was Josh who were sharing this with her. Because she loves Josh and she wants this connection with him. What is she going to do if she is pregnant? What if there is a life growing inside of her that will serve as a constant reminder that she and Drake _were_ she and Drake, if only for several hours.

The alarm on Drake's phone goes off and Mindy jumps, letting out a small cry. He looks at her and she freezes. "Do you want me to look?" She nods her head. The tears are welling in her eyes because whether she wants to admit it or not, she already knows what the results are. Drake picks up the test and stares at it. The word "PREGNANT" digitally mocks him. He turns and leans against the counter. "Fuck." He hears Mindy choke out a sob and instinctively he goes to comfort her.

She shoves him away, sniffling, "Don't." She wipes her tears away, "It could be a false positive. Sometimes they happen, right? We'll wait a little bit and I'll take the other one."

"Okay."

An hour and a half later and the results are the same. Mindy calls him every name under the sun and several that he's never heard before. Once that's out of her system, she becomes eerily calm and Drake wonders if she's flipped, because, well, she has gone crazy before. Her tears dry and she curls up in a ball, allowing Drake to hold her, to try to soothe her. She needs someone to blame, someone to direct her anger at and Drake is the perfect target. He is partially responsible after all. "I hate you."

"I know. I hate you too." He says it but his heart isn't in it. He's going to be a dad. Maybe. He's okay with that. He's not okay with the options that Mindy has. He respects a woman's right to choose (because, really, he is not naïve enough to think that this is the first time he's gotten a girl pregnant, just the first time it's come back to bite him on the ass) but shit…. He just found out that he is going to be a father and already he wants to be everything for this kid that a dad should be. And if he has to deal with Mindy, that's cool, he can do that. He'll do anything for his kid, even be nice to his or her mom, no matter how much they dislike each other because they'll both love him. Or her. And even if Mindy doesn't, he will.

Every bit of logic and rationality has left Mindy. Her voice is hoarse from all the crying, "I don't know what to do. I always know what to do." She looks at him, so vulnerable. Human. "What am I supposed to do?"

He wants to tell her to have the baby. He wants to yell at her. She doesn't have to love it, she doesn't have to take care of it, she can just push it out in however many months and give it to him. "I don't know. I'm…I'm here for the baby. And you."

"I don't know what to do." There's panicking, there's fear. "I can't…I don't think that I could _not_…. What am I supposed to tell my family? What am I supposed to tell Josh?"

Drake grows aggravated because he is a part of this and she keeps forgetting that or dismissing it. Dismissing him. "_We_. What are _we_ supposed to tell _our_ families? What are _we_ supposed to tell Josh? It's my baby too."

Mindy looks at him with wide eyes, stricken by the pain and anger in his voice, "I know that." After a minute, she starts crying again.


	4. When the Bough Breaks

The doctor gives Mindy a sympathetic look after she finishes throwing up in the trash bin. It's been two days since she found out that she was pregnant.

"I am so sorry. That was disgusting."

"You're not the first pregnant woman I've seen throw up and I doubt you'll be the last, Mindy. Although this may be the first time I've seen a woman react quite the same way to the confirmation of their pregnancy. I take it that this was not planned."

"No, it certainly was not."

"Have you had a chance to think about your options? From what you said, it's still early enough that you don't have to continue with the pregnancy if you don't want to. We would have to do an ultrasound first to be sure that you're not too far along, give you a timeframe of how long you have to decide if you want to terminate."

"I haven't considered anything. Mostly, I was just really hoping that this was all just a big mistake."

The doctor pats Mindy's hand, "I understand. Life's little surprises can throw us a little off balance. I know it's a lot for you to take in and I do not know how involved the father is in this situation but you should take some time to think about things, maybe even discuss your options. I'm going to give you a few pamphlets and write you a prescription for pre-natal vitamins. I'm going to go ahead and schedule you for an ultrasound for later this month, okay?"

Mindy nods and slides off the examination table. She sends Drake a text: We need to talk. She stuffs the pamphlets and the prescription into her purse and drives to work. She likes working at the pharmaceutical lab, it's not her dream job but it's a good job. Drake's thrown himself into trying to write songs for another album, so he's free all day. They'll meet for lunch.

Drake arrives at the restaurant twenty minutes early, the seconds ticking slowly by. He doesn't know why he's so anxious, they've already had the confirmation from two home pregnancy tests. He debates ordering a drink, a beer, before Mindy arrives but he knows that she'll have something to say about that. He taps his foot impatiently. He rises when he sees her approaching the table, "Took you long enough."

She glances at her watch, "I'm two minutes late."

"Whatever," he says as they both sit. "What did the doctor say?"

"That I'm pregnant and that I have options." She orders a glass of water and a salad when the server comes by, Drake's not hungry. "You were right. We should have told Josh in Vegas; we should have explained everything to him that morning."

"Are you going to go through with it?"

"It? The pregnancy?" He nods. "Abortion is not an option, that's not how I was raised. _This_ isn't how I was raised either but I don't think that I could not go through with this pregnancy. I mean, it's not that I'm against abortion, I just can't fathom having one myself."

"Even though you don't want the baby?"

They pause as the server drops off a basket of rolls and butter. Mindy lowers her voice, "Did I say that I didn't want the baby? I don't know what I want, Drake, but I am going to have it—the baby." She plucks a roll out of the basket, "There's always adoption."

"What are we going to tell people?"

"I don't know!" she hisses. "And stop asking me all these questions. Contrary to whatever you may believe, I do not have all the answers. You're part of this, you claim you want to take responsibility, that you can be responsible, why don't you try using your pea-brain and come up with something?"

He straightens up in his chair, "Okay, fine. I want us to tell Josh. Tonight."

"I am not ready to tell anyone, let alone Josh."

"You just said that he needs to know!"

"I know that. But what are we supposed to tell him? 'Hey, Josh, remember when we went to Vegas and you spent all that time in the casino? Well, while you were trying to plan for our future, Drake and I got shitfaced, got married, and had sex. The good news is that the marriage was annulled; the bad news is that I'm pregnant with your brother's baby. No hard feelings.'"

"Did you just curse?"

She drops her head into her hands, "Why is this happening?"

"If we explain, yeah, he'll be mad with us at first, but, you know, he may get over it. It was an accident. Once he gets over the shock, he'll understand that. We didn't do any of it on purpose. And we didn't tell him when it happened because we didn't want to hurt him."

She looks at him, wearily, "Why are you making sense? And why are you trying to make me feel better?"

He shrugs, "'Cause we're in this together? And because I'm not a bad guy."

She sighs, "So what exactly are we going to tell Josh?"

They agree to wait until Friday night to tell Josh so that they don't run the rest of his week. They briefly consider telling him in a public place to lessen the chances of him completely freaking out and having a meltdown. They decide against it. Drake knows that his mom and Walter are going to some second chance prom thing Friday night and he doubts that Megan's coming home from college. Mindy will make plans with Josh to stay in for the evening and watch a movie or two upstairs. Drake will be there when she arrives. They feel a little bad that they're going to blindside him but they don't know what else to do.

* * *

><p>Friday evening gets off to a rough start when Megan breezes into the house. Drake gags a bit on his soda when he sees her step into the living room, dropping two bags of laundry on the floor.<p>

"Hey loser," she says as she turns to skip up the stairs.

"What are you doing here?"

"I live here. Weirdo," she calls down from the stairs.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit," he mutters as he fumbles for his phone to text Mindy. They can't do this with Megan in those house because there's going to be yelling. There's no way that there won't be any yelling because there is no way that Josh is not going to blow his lid. Mindy's response is a lot calmer than he expected: _Maybe she has plans with friends._ And Megan does. She's irritated that he's trying to get in her business because she really doesn't care what bimbo he plans on entertaining at the house.

Josh reminds Drake that Mindy's on her way over, and even though they're being civil towards one another, he knows that they'd prefer to spend as little time in each other's company as possible. "You know that's gonna have to change when Mindy and I get married. I bought a ring."

Drake's eyes nearly pop out of his head, "You—you bought a ring? What kind of ring?"

"An engagement ring, Drake."

"Why?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because I love Mindy, I want to spend the rest of my life with her, and I'm hoping she wants the same. Look, I know that the two of you are never going to be BFFs and neither of you would give the other a kidney, but I'm going to need the both of you to try a little harder."

Drake starts pacing, "Josh, have you really thought this through? I mean, marriage is a big step. Maybe you shouldn't ask her over microwave popcorn."

Josh laughs, "No, man, I'm not going to ask her tonight. I want to do things right. I'm gonna ask her dad first."

"I don't think he's going to marry you, Josh. Also, he's already married to Mindy's mom."

"Drake, be serious for a minute. I'm going to ask him for her hand."

"Yeah, I don't think that's a good idea."

"And why not?"

"I just don't."

"There has to be a reason and not just because you don't like Mindy."

"I don't think that it's the right time. I mean, think about it, you really haven't been dating that long."

"Seven years is a pretty long time, Drake. For a guy who's never dated the same girl for seven weeks, I think you'd know that."

"Seven years on and off, so, when it comes down to it, you've only dated for, what, four or five years?"

"You're not making any sense, Drake. What is this really about? Why are you trying to talk me out of proposing to Mindy?"

"I just don't think it's a good time. You two need to be in a better place."

"A better place, Drake? What does that even mean?" He holds his hand up, "No, don't say anything. I knew you wouldn't be thrilled with the thought of being related to Mindy but I at least hoped you'd be happy for me. You're being really selfish right now."

There's a light rapping at the door and Mindy pushes the door open. "Hey guys." The tension in the room is palpable. She cautiously asks, "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Josh says tightly, momentarily glaring at Drake before turning his attention to his girlfriend, his features softening.

"O-kay," Mindy says, pushing the door closed.

"Drake was just leaving, weren't you, buddy?"

"Actually, Josh, he needs to stay. There's something we need to tell you."

Josh looks a little confused, "You and Drake 'we'?"

"Yes."

"What could you both have to tell me?"

Mindy starts slowly, "Josh, do you remember when we went to Las Vegas?"

He sits on the back of the sofa, "Yeah, yeah, of course I do."

"I was a little upset when you didn't join us for dinner. I know we hadn't talked about it but we, you and I, were having problems. I thought that you didn't feel the same way about me anymore and that maybe our relationship had run its course. So, I decided to drown my sorrows in alcohol and Drake and I went out and we both got so drunk, we still don't remember anything that happened. But what did happen, Josh, I swear, it was an accident."

Josh's eyebrows knit together as he's trying to piece together whatever it is Mindy's trying to tell him. "What was an accident?"

"Drake and I," she takes a deep breath, steadying herself, "we slept together. We didn't mean for it to happen and we really don't remember it happening but it did. And it was just the one time and it didn't mean anything."

"This happened in Vegas?" She nods. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Mindy's pregnant." They both look at Drake, they had forgotten that he was in the room.

Josh shakes his head, "This is a really sick joke, you guys. And it's not funny."

"It's not a joke, Josh, I kinda wish it was though. I'm sorry, man."

There is so much hatred in Josh's eyes when he looks at his brother, his volume rising, his words full of venom, "You're sorry? You're _sorry?_ What happened, Drake? Was Mindy the only girl from Belleview left that you _hadn't_ slept with? Well, congratulations! You won yearbook sex bingo!"

"Josh, that's not what happened," Mindy starts but when he looks at her, fury and pain and tears in his eyes, she can't continue.

"You. How could you do this to me? To us?" His voice breaks a little as he continues, "I _loved_ you. You were supposed to be the one girl immune to Drake's charms. So, what, he finally threw you a compliment and you just spread your legs for him?"

The sharp sound of Mindy's open hand hitting Josh's face reverberates through the room, "We. Were. Drunk. We do not remember." She wills herself to stay strong and not to cry because crying will not help, it will not fix anything, "And I would never intentionally do or say anything to hurt you."

"I got drunk a few times in college and you know what I managed not to do? Sleep with someone! No matter how much I had to drink, Mindy, I stayed true to you, even when we were on a break. And it was easy. So don't blame it on the alcohol or whatever problems you think that we were having. None of that should have matter, but I should have; what we had should have mattered." Each word stings her. He rounds on Drake, pointing an accusatory finger at him, "You're supposed to be my brother and my best friend. I wanted you to be my best man and—oh my God." Realization dawns on his face, "This is why you didn't want me to ask Mindy to marry me. You planned this. You let me go on and on knowing that in just a few minutes the two of you were going to do this. You're a jerk, Drake, and you're the worst friend or brother that anyone could ever have."

"Josh, come on, man. It's not like we were sneaking around behind your back. You have every right to be upset but we didn't do this to you."

"That's right, you did each other," he snarls. "And you've spent the past two months lying to me and now you just expect me to believe that it was a one-time thing—yeah, okay. Tell me, Drake, Mindy, would you have ever told me if Mindy wasn't pregnant?" Their silence is answer enough for Josh, "That's what I thought. I hope the two of you are very happy together. And you know what else? I'm not upset, I am _done._ Finito. With both of you. Enjoy your lives," he storms to the door, yanking it open so hard Mindy's afraid it'll come off the hinges. Josh idles just outside of the threshold and casts one last look at Mindy, "I hope neither you nor the baby end up with the clap," and he slams the door.

"We deserved that," Mindy says flatly when they hear the squealing of Josh's tires as he speeds away from the house.

"How can you be so calm right now?"

She throws her hands up in the air, "Because we expected this, Drake. Unlike Josh, we had time to prepare and we knew how he was probably going to react. What? Do you think I should be crying? Maybe flailing my arms around? Should I throw myself down on Josh's bed and beat my fists against the pillows? It's pointless; none of that will change anything. I've had the last few days to accept the fact that Josh and I are over."

"So that's it? You're okay with losing him forever? Because I'm not."

"And neither am I but, as you are well aware, I do have a small person growing inside of my uterus, so I think that's going to be my main priority for the foreseeable future. Josh'll come around eventually. If he doesn't and I keep this baby, and if you and I were to try to raise it together…I don't know."

"I want to." She looks at him, an eyebrow raised. He elaborates, "If you decide to raise the baby, I want to be around. And I—I would like to go with you when you get to see it and hear the heartbeat."

He sounds so unsure of himself in his request and she looks vaguely amused, "You want to go to the ultrasound?"

"Yeah." He wants to add that he could be a good dad. He'll be a better father to this kid than he's been a brother to Josh. He can prove he's not a total screw-up.

"Okay."

"Yeah?"

She shrugs, "Yeah, I mean, why not." She looks down, twisting her hands, "I should probably head home."

"I'll walk you out." She gives him an odd look but doesn't say anything, letting him follow behind her. She walks out the front door and down the walkway to her car; Drake calls out, "Drive safe." He turns around, goes into the kitchen, and grabs a beer from the refrigerator. He twists the top off and walks towards the living room, taking a swig. He sits on the sofa then does a double take, jumping up. Megan is standing on the staircase, arms folded across her chest, giving him a withering look. Nervously, "Hey. When did you get back in?"

She unfolds her arms and saunters down the stairs, "Sometime around Josh yelling about Mindy having been the last girl you needed to sleep with from Belleview for you to win some sort of sex bingo. Then he congratulated you so I can only guess that means that you and Mindy did the horizontal mambo." She sighs, "I always knew you were a dumbass, Drake, but this is beyond your normal levels of irresponsibility and stupidity."

"Did you catch the part about her being pregnant?" he asks sheepishly as he trails after her into the kitchen.

She pulls a beer from the fridge, "Oh my god, you're both idiots! You know, I expect this sort of thing from you, but Mindy, that's just disappointing."

"So, you're not angry? Or surprised? You're taking this a little too well."

"Eh. Not my problem. Besides, I always thought the two of you seemed to hate each other a little too much. They say it's a thin line between love and hate, so, honestly, I'm just surprised it took this long for you two to hook up. I actually would've put money on you two doing it when you were in high school," she says, fumbling through a drawer for the bottle opener.

"That's disturbing. Mindy's pants were never a pair I wanted to get in and you're not old enough to drink."

"Oh please, I'm nineteen, I'm at home, you knocked up our brother's girlfriend, and now I'm giving you advice about your incredibly fucked up life—"

"Hey, language!"

"—so I think that I deserve a drink or two. Also, I'm not twelve, calm down," she says flippantly, hopping up onto the counter. "So, what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to be there for Mindy and the baby and hope that Josh forgives us one day."

She gives him a patronizing look, "It's bad enough that you knocked her up, don't go developing real feelings for her, Drake. You're already in a big enough mess as it is. Josh might be pissed now but once he remembers that you and Mindy don't like each other, he'll come around. That or we'll spend holidays redefining the words 'awkward' and 'dysfunctional.'" She groans as she slides down off the counter, "Jeez, being nice to you really takes it out of me," and thinks a moment before adding, "Maybe now you'll learn to keep it in your pants. Tell Mindy I said hey and that I call dibs on being godmother."

Drake sighs and takes his phone out of his pocket so that he can call Mindy to let her know about this latest development.


	5. Beauty in the Breakdown

Josh doesn't speak to either of them, not that Mindy tries to contact him. Drake tries to talk to Josh but he refuses to say anything to him with the exception of when their parents are present and even then, he sticks with monosyllabic words. Audrey and Walter have dealt with enough of their quarreling to know that something's wrong. When asked about Mindy, Josh simply tells them that they're over and he'd rather not talk about it. Josh moves into the guest room.

Mindy spends her evenings, time that she would have spent with Josh, reading books on pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting. Drake gets into the habit of calling her at night because he's been reading too. He asks about what she's eating, how long she's on her feet, if she's drinking caffeinated beverages or alcohol, whether or not she's taking her prenatal vitamins, and how much sleep she's getting. It's almost cute but it's so annoying because she was taking perfectly good care of herself before he got her pregnant and if anything she's going to continue to take care of herself for the health of the baby. She hates to admit it, but it's nice how much he seems to care about the baby and the fact that he's starting to fuss over her. She can't help but have her reservations though. Drake's doing a pretty good job so far of trying to be involved but what's going to happen when it's time to tell people, when she starts to show, when she has the baby? She can't place her trust in him because he's Drake and she's seen Josh misplace his hope and faith in Drake for years. She can't count on him.

Mindy reminds Drake of the date of her ultrasound two weeks before and a week before. It's at four in the afternoon and she's going to get off from work early. He says he'll pick her up and drive her to the OB-GYN. She doubts he'll even remember the appointment.

Surprised isn't even the right word to describe her reaction when she walks out of the building around 3:30 and sees Drake leaning against his car, "What are you doing here?"

He looks confused, "Your appointment is at four, you told me last week that you were leaving here at 3:30, I said I was going to take you."

"Yeah, but I didn't expect you to actually do it."

"You mean you didn't expect me to remember."

"That too."

He was going to hold the door for her but she can do it herself. He walks back around to the driver's side and gets in, closing the door a little harder than he needs to. She feels bad as she gets into the car but then she remembers that Drake is a guy who lets people down all the time, whether it's maliciously and on purpose or not; he can't help it, it's who he is. He's like the scorpion in the fable with the frog but she knows better than the frog, she's not going to trust him and get stung. She's not going to hold him to co-parenting but she's not going to force him to stay at arms' length either.

Waiting at a stop light, he asks, "Have you talked to Josh since we told him?"

"No. Have you?"

"Not really. It's weird. We live in the same house and for the past two weeks he's spent most of the time acting like I don't exist. He goes out of his way to avoid running into me. I've only seen glimpses of his back for the past three days."

At least he's still equally pissed at both of them.

"I'm not one hundred percent sure yet but I've almost ruled out giving the baby up for adoption."

"That's good."

"I suppose. I'm still not sure I'm ready to be a mother."

He shrugs, "You've still got, what, at least seven to eight more months to go and you're the smartest person I've ever met. By the time the baby's born, you're probably going to know everything there is to know about babies. It's what you do, it's who you are."

"That's…possibly the nicest thing you've ever said about me."

"It's true."

He parks the car and they walk into the lobby and waiting room at the doctor's office. Drake fidgets while Mindy checks in. It's not like any of the romantic comedies. There aren't a dozen kids under the age of five, there are no heavily pregnant women, and no put-upon looking men. But that probably has more to do with the fact that Mindy's appointment is the last of the day. Drake stares at a poster of fetal growth.

"Are you okay?"

He continues staring at the poster, "That thing has a huge head. It looks like an alien. You don't think that our baby's going to have a big head, do you?"

"Physically, no. In regards to brain or ego, definitely."

A nurse calls them back to the exam room and informs them that the doctor will be in shortly, leaving a paper shirt for Mindy to change into. Drake turns around without her having to ask him to. When the doctor does arrive, she introduces herself to Drake and Mindy introduces him by name and as "the father."

Mindy has to unbutton her slacks and unzip them so that she can slide the waistband down a bit and she can tell that Drake is trying to respect her privacy as best he can. She has to give him credit. The gel is cold against her stomach and she's gripped with fear because while she has known that she was pregnant for a few weeks now, the reality is seconds away from really starting to sink in because she's about to see the tiny life growing inside of her.

The doctor presses the transducer against Mindy's lower abdomen, moving it slowly along her flesh before coming to a stop. She smiles and presses a button. The picture on the screen freezes for a moment before it begins moving again. Drake squints at the screen, "That looks like a lava lamp blob."

Mindy looks at him like he's a dumbass as the doctor replies, "I—yes, I can see that, but it is your baby." Mindy herself doesn't know how to process the sight other than to think that this is really real.

"Are you sure that's a baby?"

The doctor chuckles, moving the transducer a bit, "Yes, Mr. Parker," and she presses the same button, the screen freezes then moves.

"And it's supposed to look like _that_? I mean, are you sure that it's okay?"

"So far, so good."

It's then that Drake's ear pick up on the soft whirring sound. Kind of like "whoosh" but not. Or "whomp." He can't describe the sound, not really, but he wouldn't be surprised if the machinery was malfunctioning because he really doesn't think the baby should look like that. "What is that noise?"

"That's our baby," Mindy says softly. It's a beautiful sound and she doesn't think that she's ever going to forget this moment, the first time she hears her baby's heart.

"The baby's got a good, strong heartbeat," the doctor tells them.

"Are you sure it should be beating that fast? I don't think my heart beats that fast and if it did, I'd be concerned—" he stops when Mindy's grabs his hand and squeezes it. He looks at her, "That's good?"

She smiles at him and she's overwhelmed by the emotions, and every regret she had about their night together dissipates because there's this little life and life can't be a bad thing, and there are tears of joy and awe in her eyes, "It's good."

Drake lets it wash over him and he looks positively giddy because this is awesome. He messed up and he can't fix things with Josh but he doesn't care because, dude, it doesn't look like a baby yet but he'll take the doctor's word for it that it is and his kid's heartbeat sounds like it would make the best backing track ever. He wasn't expecting to be this excited or to feel knocked off his feet. He's used to feeling a rush whenever he performs for a crowd but nothing has ever felt like this. It's as unexpected as him leaning down to press a kiss to Mindy's forehead and there's a slight shift in the air surrounding them.

The doctor smoothly interrupts their moment, "Would either of you like a DVD?"

"Yes," Drake answers quickly, straightening.

"I'll make you both a copy." She grabs some paper towels and wipes some of the excess gel off of Mindy's stomach. "You can change your top, I'll be back in just a few minutes," she says just before stepping out of the room.

They continue to hold hands as they stare at the still image of their baby frozen on the screen.

Drake tilts his head, focusing on the lava lamp like blob, "Wow."

"I know."

"We can do this. We can make it work."

"I know and we're trying to."

"No, I mean, _we_ could try to work. You and me. For the baby."

She drops his hand like it burns and she sits up, "Drake, first off, you don't do relationships, you do whatever willing female you're interested in at the moment, because, oh my God, you're a musician." She wipes the rest of the gel off as best she can then fixes her pants as she continues, "Secondly, dating or trying to force some relationship just for the sake of the baby is ridiculous because we'll only end up resenting each other more than we already do and that will end up having a negative impact on our child. Let's just try to get along and maybe even become friends."

He scratches the back of his head and shifts, "Yeah, I've been trying, pretty hard actually."

"I know, I know, it's just—look, I appreciate that you're trying to do 'the right thing' but that's not right for us and it's not right for the baby. Let's just take everything one day at a time."

The atmosphere in the room changes again before the doctor re-enters. The silence is mostly amicable with just a few traces of tension. The doctor gives them the DVDs and a couple of sonogram pictures; she estimates that Mindy's due date will be around June 3.

They try to find some level of comfort again as they leave the examination room. When they walk back into the lobby, there's one more thing to add onto the list of unexpected things to happen. They both stop dead in their tracks, stunned to see Josh sitting by himself in the waiting area. He has bags under his eyes and it looks like he hasn't shaved for the past couple of days.

Josh stands, "Hey guys."

Mindy takes a step towards him, "Josh…what are you doing here?"

"Megan still frightens me," he begins with a sad version of his goofy grin. "She told me that you had a sonogram today and that I needed to, and I quote, 'pull my head out of my ass,' and be here for the love of my life and my best friend, my brother. I've been doing a lot of thinking lately and I think the three of us need to have a sit down and talk this thing out."

And there it is, a little seed of hope for Mindy and yet the smallest sense of disappointment, the source of which she can't place her finger on, that she doesn't want to question. Automatically, Drake can feel himself going on the defensive because Josh hasn't looked at him but is staying focused on Mindy and Drake knows. He doesn't know what he knows but he knows that this isn't right. He starts to say that he'll drive Mindy back to work so that she can pick up her car but Josh insists and Drake's not going to cause a scene so whatever, he'll meet them at Mindy's apartment.

"I've missed you," Josh tells her as he opens the car door for her.

"I missed you too."

"I know I should've asked before, probably when you first told me, but, how are you and the baby?"

"We're good, the baby's healthy, I'm healthy. What about you?"

"I've been better."

"Josh, I am so sorry and I can't ever apologize enough—"

"No, don't apologize. I understand now, what happened between you and Drake."

"You do?"

"Yeah."

She doesn't ask because she doesn't want to know but his tone has told her enough already. The look in his eyes, the sound in his voice, it's regret, it's heartache, it's betrayal and she feels like she deserves it but dammit, she doesn't. He was re-acting, he had intent when she and Drake hadn't. But Josh had in no uncertain terms ended his relationship with her so what right does she have to be upset, to be jealous, to be hurt over whatever he has done and who he has done it with. She doesn't know if it's her pregnancy or this revelation but she feels like she's going to throw up, so she rolls down the window and slowly inhales the cool air.

"Mindy?" He sounds so concerned.

She shakes her head, not looking at him, "I'm okay, I just feel a little sick. It happens a lot."

Josh gives her a kiss on the cheek when he drops her off at the car; he'll follow her to her place. As she drives, she feels like she should be crying right now but she can't. She doesn't want to cry. She'd felt happy, felt hope dancing around her, several minutes earlier. She wants to bang her head against the steering wheel. She kind of wants to hit Josh, not with her car, but with her hand or her purse or something. She pulls up in front of her apartment a couple minutes before Josh and Drake's sitting on the stoop, looking at a piece of paper. She walks to the front door, keys in hand, catching a glimpse of the grainy picture of their baby before he slips the paper into his pocket and stands.

"It's sweet," she says, unlocking the door. "That you're making an effort."

Josh arrives and they all sit, Josh beside Mindy on the sofa, Drake in the armchair. Josh begins, "So, I've come up with an idea that I think can work. I think it'll be the best thing for all of us, including the baby. As long as you haven't told anyone."

"Told anyone what?" Drake asks.

"About Mindy being pregnant."

Mindy shakes her head, "Only you, Megan, my doctor, and my supervisor at the lab know. Right, Drake?"

"I haven't told anyone."

"That's good," Josh says, rubbing his hands together. "Now, my idea is that when Mindy's ready to start telling people about the baby, we let everyone think that the baby's mine."

"What?" the both exclaim.

"No, wait, just listen. No one's going to ask who the father is, they're all going to assume that it's me, so I say, why don't we let them? It'll save all the time and confusion and frustration of having to explain to our families and friends about what happened in Vegas."

"But it's not your baby, Josh, it's mine," Drake interjects.

"And Mindy was my girlfriend, not yours when you got her pregnant," he spits. He sighs, and tries to calm himself back down, "Anywho, it's not like you'll be cut out of the baby's life. You'll be Uncle Drake. And this way, you don't have to be responsible."

"I want to—"

Josh erupts, "No, you don't, Drake! What are you going to do when Mindy goes into labor? Are you going to go to Lamaze classes, hold her hand in the delivery room, cut the umbilical cord? What about if the baby has colic? When it's teething? How about changing diapers? The first time the baby spits up on you, you're going to be ready to hand it off. You're not going to get up to feed the baby every few hours—you're not going to be with Mindy, you don't want to be with her and I do!"

Josh has voiced the majority of Mindy's own worries about depending on Drake to be there for her or the baby. Drake wants to disagree but he can't because he hasn't thought about any of these things. He hasn't thought about the future or the reality of it, what's it going to be like when there's an actual baby to take care of.

"You've been taking things from me for years, Drake, and you just always expect me to sit back and let you. You do it all the time. And I'm tired of it. You can't just have Mindy and you can't just have a family with her, a family that she and I have been planning for years! You don't want to be with her, she doesn't want to be with you, and just be honest, you don't want to raise this baby, with or without Mindy. So, please, just let me do this. You owe me, Drake."

There's the guilt, Josh's trump card. Drake chews on his bottom lip, mulling over Josh's argument. He supposes that Josh does have a few points. He looks over at Mindy, her face unreadable; he wishes he knew what was going through her mind. He knows that she has her doubts about him but he's trying so hard to prove that he can be a responsible, mature adult.

Mindy's not sure what to think or what to do. She wants…it doesn't matter what she wants. She had come to terms with Josh being out of her life for the time being. She was beginning to accept Drake's increasing presence in her life and the fact the he was possibly going to be a big part of it for at least the next eighteen to nineteen years. She's seen a part of Drake that she couldn't have even imagined existed. She doesn't want to push him away, to push him out, but she knows that Josh is dependable and he loves her and he'll be there for every weird craving and bout of diaper rash.

"Do I have a say in this?" Drake asks.

Josh reaches over and places his hand on top of Mindy's, "I think that all depends on whether or not Mindy agrees that my plan is the best option. After all, she has to think of herself _and_ the baby. So, what do you think? Do you want to do this?"

She hesitates. It's all too much and she can't possibly make such a decision without having time to think it over, to list out all the pros and cons. "I—Josh—"

"It's fine." Drake makes the choice. Mindy looks at him, bewildered. He clears his throat, "Josh is right." Drake stands and shakes Josh's hand, "So, congratulations, you're going to be a dad. I'll leave you two. Uh, you should watch the DVD of the thing together. And, don't worry, Josh, the baby is supposed to look like that." He rushes out of the apartment and into his car like the building is on fire. A small part of him was hoping that Mindy would say that it was a bad idea or at least point out the flaws in Josh's plan. Maybe point out all the ways in which it could fall apart but she didn't. After everything these last few weeks, especially today, she should have stood up for him and his right to try to be a father to their child.

He can hear Josh's condescending voice, calling him 'Uncle Drake.' As much as Josh may still love Mindy, he's doing this out of spite, to punish Drake. Drake knows that and he knows that Josh knows it too. He pulls out the sonogram picture, the picture of _his_ baby, and stares at it for a moment before angrily tossing it onto the front passenger seat, "Fuck my life."


	6. Tied in Knots

**Notes:** The last third of this part underwent several re-writes. There were things that I wanted to happen that just didn't feel right so I had to go in a completely different direction which is going to throw off my outline for the next few parts or so.

* * *

><p>Josh doesn't move back into their room right away and for that Drake is grateful. Who the hell does Josh think he is, hijacking his kid like that? Megan keeps trying to call him and he keeps ignoring her calls because if she hadn't put the fear of God in Josh, he wouldn't be contemplating backsliding. A few drinks, a hot girl, maybe even one who recognizes his name and his face, who's ready to go, that would make him feel so much better right now. Then he thinks: What if Mindy has a girl? What if one day his daughter falls prey to a guy like him? A daughter he can never claim. It just pisses him off all over again.<p>

Mindy calls Drake a couple of nights after Josh presented his "brilliant" plan to them; she waits because she figured that the both needed to at least sleep on it. She tells him that she told Josh that she's not sure she's ready to commit to such an elaborate lie that would potentially change the course of her child's life. Josh hasn't mentioned this to Drake because he's still barely talking to him but that's now probably more due to Drake avoiding him. _Now_ she wants to talk to him and ask him how he really feels. He's not in the mood to talk to her either and he considers blowing her off but his eyes fall onto the framed still image from the ultrasound. He'll talk to her for the baby. _His_ baby.

Drake's also beginning to see what Mindy meant when she suggested that he and Josh move out of their parents' house because it means either careful scheduling or having any discussion about the baby at Mindy's place. He passes Josh in the hall, barely acknowledging him.

"Drake!"

He huffs and turns around, "Yeah, Josh?"

Josh looks at him, trying to get a read on him, "Are you mad at me?"

"Yeah, I am."

He's incredulous, "How does that work? You and Mindy are the ones who did something wrong and I get it now, it was a mistake, it's not like you seduced her, and I'm extending the olive branch. So, how is it that _you're_ _pissed_ _at_ _me_?"

He pretends to ponder Josh's query. "That is a good question, Josh. Let's try this for an answer: To me, it seems like you're trying to get back at me."

"What? _What_? Get back at you how?"

Drake walks up to him, "I want to be part of my child's life, Josh, and not as its 'Uncle Drake.' You don't know me as well as you think you do. Hell, I don't know me as well as I think I did. This baby is changing my life and I know that I messed up and that I have a nasty habit of taking things away from you, but you know what, you and Mindy can have each, I don't care, as long as you're both happy. You can't just take the baby away from me, it's my flesh and blood and no story you tell the world is going to change that."

Josh rocks back on the balls of his feet, his features twisted in consternation. "You really feel that way?"

"Yes."

"How badly does it hurt?" Josh really wants to know. It's not petty but maybe it is a little childish but Drake can't really fault him but he can still try. But he's not going to, not right now.

Drake just wants it to stop. He wants so much, maybe too much. It's all so fucked up and he's just so frustrated and tired. He's tired of fighting and being ignored or ignoring. He wants to grow up. He wants them to both grow up and to stop hurting each other and get back to normal. Or as close to normal as they can. He's willing to concede defeat or to surrender because if one of them doesn't this is only going to get uglier, and really, since when is he the bigger person? "I get it, Josh, it's like being stabbed in the heart repeatedly. Worst pain ever. So, can we stop the pissing contest? Can't we just be bothers again?"

He's always forgiven him in the past. "It's not going to be that easy, Drake. God, you've always been able to have just about any girl that you wanted but I always thought that you would respect our bond not only as brothers but as friends."

"Bros before hos?" he asks with a lopsided grin.

"Something like that." There is no humor in Josh's tone. "I need you to promise me something."

"Yeah, anything; what is it?"

"Never again, Drake." And it dawns on him, why Josh wants to step-in and take over for him. He's afraid that the baby is going to bring him and Mindy together. Josh doesn't want to hedge his bets so he doesn't mince his words, "I know you say that you don't think of Mindy that way but you kind of had to have a little or we wouldn't be in this predicament right now. Do you know how that makes me feel? To know that all these years I've been trying to get the two of you to get along meanwhile, there's a part of both of you that's attracted to the other, whether either of you wants to admit it or not. The only reason I can get past this is because it's just that: you don't care about Mindy and she doesn't care about you, not like that. You slept together and that's it; you _don't_ love each other. You're my brother, she's my girl. And yeah, I can admit that I was being a jackass the other day, but you have to admit, you deserved it."

"I know."

"Don't make me pick up the pieces, Drake. If you can't handle being a father—"

Drake throws up his hands in annoyance, "Seriously, why the hell can't either of you give me a little credit? I knew the baby was mine, Josh, I didn't run away. I was with Mindy when she found out she was pregnant! _I'm_ the one who made _her_ take the damn tests! You're not doing me any favors by trying to take my kid off of my hands. What Mindy and I do or don't feel about each other doesn't matter, I'm not going to abandon my child!"

"And I'm not asking you to, I'm just saying that you should think about everyone else involved. People are going to look at me like I'm some sucker because I'm forgiving you both _and_ I'm just letting you raise the baby together. Everyone is going to think that the two have you have been carrying on behind my back for years and they're going to continue thinking that you are. Whenever Mindy and I start a family of our own, everyone we know is going to examine our children to see if they look like me or like you. People are going to look at Mindy like she's unfaithful and they're going to look at your child and my children and think that they're all bastards. Think about that, Drake."

He clenches his jaw, "I don't care what other people are going to think, Josh. As long as the people who matter eventually understand, that's it. Everyone else can kiss my ass." He looks at his watch, "I have to go. I'm late."

"Hot date?" Josh smiles, brows raised, trying to ease them back towards fraternity.

"Not quite," Drake snorts before turning to walk down the stairs.

"Hey, Drake?" He stops and looks back at Josh. "Hug me, brother?"

* * *

><p>Mindy opens the door and lets Drake in, "Hey."<p>

"Hey." He steps into the living room and turns around as she closes the door. He takes a seat on the sofa, "I talked to Josh before I came over."

She sits on the armchair, "What about?"

"I told him that I don't want to go along with his little plan, that I'm doing this because I want to, not because I feel guilty or whatever."

"Oh." She looks at her hands, "What did he say?"

Drake shrugs, "He tried to talk me out of it. He said some crap about what people are going to think and say behind our backs. I don't care. Do you?"

She rolls her eyes, "Well, I cheated on my boyfriend with his brother and ended up pregnant, so I'm pretty sure there will be people who are going to have a few colorful names for me, but other than that, I could not care less. I just want us to do what's right for the baby and sentencing him or her to live a lie before he or she is even born, that would make us terrible parents and even more terrible people."

"What about you and Josh?"

She gives him a wry smile, "He wants me back and I want to be with him but my emotions are starting to go haywire and I'm not sure that us getting back together right now is the best idea. I'm a mess and this is complicated enough without having to add a relationship into the equation. But that doesn't mean that I'm not going to give it a try."

Drake swallows, "So you're back together?"

"It seems like it. This isn't going to be weird for you, is it?"

"Why would it be weird for me?"

"It's just, the other day at the doctor's office, you said that you thought that you and I—"

He waves her off, "Oh, that, no, I was just trying to, what was it you said—'do the right thing.' No, Josh was right. I don't _want_ to be with you, I mean, come on, really. No, I was just thinking that we could do it for the baby. But you were right. And you and Josh should be together."

He's being aloof and this is the Drake Parker of old. He's not taking her seriously and maybe it's her own fault because she rarely takes him seriously. She hesitates then moves onto the sofa, next to him. She broaches the subject carefully, "Drake, if you would rather that I didn't date anyone, even Josh, until after the baby is born, I would understand."

He scoffs, "Yeah, that would be like me telling you that I'm going to refrain from picking up girls until after you pop the kid out—not gonna happen."

"Drake, stop it. I'm being sincere, so, if you could respond accordingly, I'd greatly appreciate it." She presses forward, "Come on, Drake, I thought we agreed that we were going to be friends."

"We agreed to _try_ to be friends."

"Okay, well, this is me trying. Do you want—"

"No, I don't want you to get back together with Josh. See, he's a little afraid that something else might happen between you and me—"

"You and I," she corrects.

"You and I. And I'm a lot afraid that you two are going to fall back into your nauseating we're-so-in-love grossness that I'm going to end up being left out in the cold. I don't want Josh or some other guy feeling up your stomach while my baby's in there, they might feel the baby move or kick before I do. I'm being selfish, okay."

She won't admit it, but Drake is a little on the adorable side when he gets like this. She reaches for his hand, "That's okay, Drake, it is your baby too. You can be a little selfish where it's concerned."

"I can?"

"Yes. And believe me, if you ever bring one of your little tarts within five feet of me and she so much as looks like she _wants_ to rub my stomach when I get bigger, that encounter will go badly for the both of you."

Drake looks a little confused, "So, I can still get laid, just as long as I don't introduce you?"

He had been doing so well. She blinks and says dryly, "Yes, Drake, feel free to 'bone' as many skanks as your libido desires."

"You're being sarcastic, aren't you?"

She smiles and he can hear the laughter in her voice, "You're not as dumb as you look." He returns her smile and they sit in a comfortable silence for a few moments. She sways into him, playfully bumping her shoulder against his arm, "You're not so bad, you know that?"

"I've always known that; took you long enough to figure it out," he says with a cocky grin.

"I'm going to regret being friends with you, aren't I?"

He grows solemn and jumps in, feet first. He can't help himself, no matter what he's said to her or Josh this evening (the lies that he has told, to them, to himself). There are things that need to be acknowledged, questions that need to be asked, "What if we _were_ to become more than friends?"

Her smile fades, "Drake, stop pushing this. We've been over this and you just said—"

"I know what I just said! Hypothetically, if things were to change even more between us…would it be such a bad thing?" He's giving her this look, and it's almost like he's wearing _his_ heart on his sleeve, and it makes _her_ heart ache.

She averts her eyes, looking down. It's hard to admit, "It wouldn't be a _bad_ thing, but it wouldn't be authentic either. Whether we force it or not, we'd only be together because of—"

"The baby," he finishes for her. He looks and sounds wounded, "You don't have to fight me so hard on this."

The last thing she wants is to hurt anyone anymore than she already has though it is inevitable. "I'm just trying to make you see reason. You and I would never work out."

"And you love Josh."

"And I love Josh," she parrots.

Drake sounds equal parts bitter and amused, "He still thinks that the two of you can live happily ever after. He made me promise that nothing would ever happen between us again. I'm pretty sure that he meant that he doesn't want me to take advantage of you in your fragile state. He trusts you more than he trusts me. I can't say that I blame him."

"Yeah, because this is entirely your fault and yours alone," she says dryly.

He snorts and smirks. Their eyes meet, sparking, igniting the air around them, and Mindy knows what's going to happen before it does. They both do. She knows it instinctively and it's more like an impulse on his part when he presses his lips to hers. She sits stock-still for a moment—trying to convince herself that she's shocked and that she didn't know he was going to kiss her, that there wasn't a teeny tiny part of her, buried deep down inside, that wanted him to kiss her—before she returns the kiss, leaning into it, into him. His lips graze her jaw then slowly make their way down the length of her neck and back up to her lips. _It's so familiar. _The entire time his lips are quietly demanding more from her. She reluctantly allows him to break the kiss, her teeth lightly scraping over his bottom lip as he pulls away. Once again, reality comes flooding back.

"You can't honestly tell me that you don't feel a damn thing," he says softly, twirling a lock of her hair between his fingers.

She closes her eyes and swallows. Her life stopped making sense that night in Las Vegas. All she has ever wanted was a modicum of normalcy and a firm grip on her sanity. She opens her eyes and levels them with his, "Honestly? I don't know what I feel. Happy? You know that I have loved Josh since we were sixteen and I can't just stop at the drop of a hat. This…_thing_ with you, if it even amounts to anything…I need time to sort this all out. And it's not fair for you to expect me to choose when we're stuck in the middle of this situation. A drunken one-night stand does not make a love connection. We're barely friends, Drake."

"I know. I just want to have a chance to do this right."

"Drake, I told you, we don't have to be a couple for us to raise this child together."

"I _want_ him or her to have a family."

"And they will. It might not be a normal or conventional family but, the baby will have both of us and our families and whomever we end up with."

He wants to argue his case but they've argued enough for the time being so Drake nods his head, allowing her to believe that he accepts what she's saying. He doesn't though. He can't just give up. Yeah, maybe if it weren't for the baby, he wouldn't be feeling things for her, he would never have entertained the thought of falling for her or a girl like her. He can see it now, in high definition, playing out like a feature film. He just wants her to catch a glimpse, like a teaser trailer, just enough to pique her interest because he knows, _he knows_, that there is more to this than she says there is. There has to be because he's never quite felt this way. He's not going to call it love. Not yet at least. He doesn't want to hurt Josh anymore than he has already but this is bigger than all of them. God forbid, if he's actually falling in love with Mindy Crenshaw, _Creature_, and not just Mindy Crenshaw, accidental mother of his unborn child….

The air around them becomes heavy with all the words left unsaid, feelings left buried deep beneath their skin, and it makes Mindy uneasy, queasy.

"I should head out," Drake finally says.

"Have a good night," she says, barely loud enough for him to hear, as he pulls the door closed behind him. She hugs a throw pillow to her chest. She needs to talk to Josh, soon. She's too tired to invite him over or to go over to his house tonight. Between work and her pregnancy and trying to find some balance between Josh and Drake, the present and the future, she is completely exhausted. The message tone on her cell phone sounds and she sees that it's a text from Megan: _Got your lady balls back yet?_ She snorts and sends the reply that she has one back, leaving out the part about her sanity barely hanging by a thread. If it weren't for the random, affirmative, empowering texts from the youngest member of the Parker-Nichols clan over the past few weeks, Mindy's almost positive that she would've had a breakdown of some sort.

Megan has been surprisingly, pleasantly even, supportive and neutral so far. She's also nominating more suitable father figures in case Drake and Josh end up killing each other or Mindy ends up killing them.

Mindy feels her stomach starting to roll; she sets the pillow down and places one hand over the other on her lower abdomen. She looks down at her stomach, "If you could cut back on making me sick sometime in the near future, that would be great. I'll feel more inclined to be nicer to your father if you're nicer to me and I don't know why I'm trying to negotiate with a fetus. Just, cut me some slack, okay? I'm doing the best I can. Dra—your father and I are both trying." Her stomach seems to settle and she lets out a small sigh of relief.

It's an afterthought, "I wish I knew what to tell Josh," but it causes her to heave and Mindy barely makes it to the bathroom.


	7. Fork in the Road

**Notes:** Heavy Josh/Mindy at the beginning of this part. Since my previous update, this fic has become the longest work that I have published on FFN.

* * *

><p>It's not exactly a lie, but a sin of omission, Mindy reasons when she concludes that Drake has not mentioned their recent kiss to Josh. She could tell Josh but they are not in a relationship at the moment; she doesn't owe him anything nor does he owe her. She doesn't expect that Josh would understand anyway. She doesn't understand it herself.<p>

She has a heart-to-heart with Josh, explaining how she's not ready to just jump back into their relationship even though she desperately wants to because she's an emotional and mental wreck; he jokes that Drake has that effect, so of course the baby's having the same on her. Josh understands because it's what he always eventually does. He's okay with waiting for her and wooing her all over again, though she should be the one tending to and mending his heart. He wants to take care of her and the baby. Part of her so wants to let him.

Josh is full of bravado and trying to regain his footing, trying to rebuild his confidence, in himself and in them. So, they're not back together but they're not _not_ together and he holds her just like he used to, like nothing's changed. She struggles to keep her guilt at bay. When they are with each other and she's nestled in his arms, sometimes he glances at her stomach, the imperceptible (except to him and Drake who are watching daily for the signs that will reveal her pregnancy to the world) bump on her lower abdomen, with a sad look of longing and just a smidge of resentment. She knows it's not the baby that he resents but the conception. There are moments when she wonders if one day he'll have a change of heart and stop playing at forgiveness. She would, if their roles were reversed. She would not have been able to forgive him.

Things are…getting better between Drake and Josh. There's still some antagonism but Josh has started sleeping in their childhood bedroom once again and they're wadding through it. They avoid talking about Mindy and the pregnancy unless they absolutely have to because they both know that it'll only cause the hostility to mount and neither wants that so they talk about anything and everything else. It's more than a little off-putting every night that Drake goes out and comes back home when Josh is still awake. It's like he's not even trying to get a girl. Josh keeps his fears and concerns to himself because hopefully he's just being paranoid.

Mindy's a bundle of nerves when Josh asks her out on a date, dinner and a movie. He hasn't actually asked her out since…senior prom. The fell into regular date nights and making plans during their college breaks and since they graduated. It disturbs her that she can hear Drake's voice grumbling in her head when she accepts Josh's invitation. And she starts to worry that Drake will tell Josh about the kiss after all and she wonders if it'll do any good to beat him to the punch. Or to talk to him about it.

Drake hasn't been to her apartment and she hasn't been by the Parker-Nichols house since they kissed. She's not ready to confront the feelings that have been bubbling inside her. He's giving her some peace, time to muse, and instead of making things easier, it's only making everything more complicated. Her surging hormones aren't helping either.

As she gets ready for her date with Josh she can't ignore the changes in her body. The waistband of her skirt is tight, not too tight that it's uncomfortable, and her blouse is snug, hugging her fuller breasts. She lets out a sigh of discontent. She feels lousy and almost calls Josh to cancel.

The movie sucks but dinner is nice. He takes back to her place. He stops her before she opens the front door and turns her around, "I had a really good time tonight, Mindy."

She looks at him, unsure where he's going with this, "So did I."

He places his hands on her waist and leans in and kisses her. It's soft and sweet and just like every single goodnight kiss he gave her at the front door of her parents' house.

"You are so corny, Josh Nichols. Romantic but corny."

"You love it." He smiles and it's the one that she always falls in love with.

"I do."

They go inside and relax on the sofa, reminiscing about high school, fingers loosely threaded. It's a place similar to where they were after their first amicable break-up but it's so far away. Josh's hand rests on her leg, just above her knee and he takes an unexpected turn, "I want to be close to you again, Mindy, but I don't know how to do that and I don't want to overstep."

"Maybe overstepping could be a good thing," she says softly before taking his face in her hands and kissing him, reassuring him, because she does love him. Her hands slide down to the base of his neck as he deepens the kiss, one of his hands timidly making its way under her shirt, his hand stilling on her waist before inching higher. He's barely cupping her breast and he's almost positive that it's a tiny bit bigger, fuller than he remembers. After a few seconds he pulls away, a perplexed look on his face, his eyes focused on her chest as his hand drops, staying beneath the fabric of her shirt. "That's different. I know it's been a while but—"

It's a bit discomforting for her to admit, "Increased levels of estrogen and progesterone." She leaves out the part about her body starting to prepare itself for the production of breast milk because it's not like the vomiting and her hormones going berserk aren't bad enough.

"Right, it's basic human biology. I knew that." The back of his fingers brush against her stomach, "You're probably going to start showing soon."

"Yeah, hold that thought," she says, removing his hand from under her shirt and dashing down the hall into the bathroom. She pushes herself up from off of her knees and sits on the edge of the bathtub, her head hanging down over the toilet, and speaks quietly, "Thanks for the false sense of comfort. I had really enjoyed not having thrown up today." She waits a few more minutes before she freshens up and leaves the bathroom.

He looks at her, the concern showing on his face, "Morning sickness?"

"Except any time of day, every day." She sits back down, pulling her legs up, "I know it's still early and it's getting better but I cannot wait for it to stop."

He rubs her back in a circular motion, "Is it bad?"

"Some days are worse than others." She doesn't say that she's beginning to think that sometimes the baby is making her sick on purpose because it's silly. "I keep a travel bottle of mouthwash in my purse at all times."

"I'm sorry."

"Oh, it's not your fault." She's glib and doesn't mean anything by it by as soon as the words have left her mouth she wishes that she could take them back because they both know that it's not his fault and it doesn't need to be reiterated or emphasized.

There's a flash of pain in Josh's eyes and they both know that their date, this night, is over and done. He sort of nods his head then leans forward and kisses her on the cheek. "Have a good night, Mindy."

"Night, Josh." She watches him leave and lets out a sigh of frustration. She makes herself a cup of tea and proceeds to begin dissecting the events of the night, examining and analyzing what she finds. How are things supposed to work with Josh as her pregnancy progresses? Her morning sickness is a hindrance now and in the coming weeks her growing midsection will be. Maybe it will be for the best if she and Josh take a real break, a break-up, until after the baby is born. No dating, no hand holding, no cuddling, no kissing, just being friends.

Her text alert sounds and she checks her cell phone. It's from Drake: _Breakfast?_ His timing is impeccable. They've barely had any contact over the past week and he reaches out now. She figures that Josh is probably home and that Drake has managed to pull a few details from him, if not, he's made his own assumptions about how their date went.

Mindy wants to be irritated and cross with Drake because he's being manipulative, waiting until he knows that her and Josh's night was not a total success before trying to get his foot in the door. Ass. If he's trying to stay on her good side and possibly trying to woo her, he's doing a horrible job. She deletes his text without responding. She needs simplicity right now and she's learning that having more than a passing involvement with Drake Parker is far from simple.

* * *

><p>When Mindy shuffles out of her bedroom the following morning, Drake is banging on the front door, "Open up!"<p>

She's still blinking the sleep out of her eyes when she opens the door, squinting, "What are you doing here this early?"

"Uh, breakfast. Duh. Didn't you get my text last night?" he asks, stepping around her, not waiting for her to invite him inside. He's carrying a cardboard cup holder and a white wax paper bag.

"Yes and I didn't reply. Most people would have taken that as an indication that I either had not received it or was not interested in your overture."

"Yeah, well, I'm not most people."

"So I've noticed," she says under her breath.

He sits the bag down on the dinette table and examines the two cups in the holder for a few seconds before pulling one out and offering it to Mindy, "It's decaf. I brought doughnuts. I don't know what you like, so, I just got a variety."

She's starting to wake up. She takes the cup from him and sniffs it. She takes a small sip and makes a face, "This tastes disgusting."

"Probably because it's decaf and black. There's sugar and creamer in the bag," he says, jerking his head toward the table.

"Drake, it's not that I don't appreciate the gesture even though it is unwelcomed, but doughnuts are not breakfast. Breakfast pastry, yes. Breakfast item, yes. Actual breakfast, no."

"God, you're cranky this morning." He picks the bag back up and holds it out to her, "Just, have a doughnut."

"I'm not in the mood for doughnuts, Drake!"

"Fine," he huffs, dropping the bag on the table. "What are you in the mood for?"

She doesn't even think about it, the words tumble out of her mouth, "I want a Belgian waffle with whipped cream, butter, strawberries and a few slices of bacon swimming in maple syrup. Turkey bacon."

He blinks, "That's pretty specific."

She shrugs, "It's what I want. I don't even like syrup that much."

"Do you want to go out? We can go to a pancake house and you can get a waffle."

"I'm still in my pajamas, Drake. I hadn't planned on going out until this afternoon."

Drake leans against the wall and folds his arms across his chest, "I've got all day, so, whenever you're ready."

It's too early for this. Mindy rolls her eyes and pads down the hall to her bedroom, "I'll be ready in ten minutes."

He drinks his coffee and eats a doughnut while he waits for her to change her clothes. He's feeling proud of himself. He's not just letting her shut him down and out. He is a little bothered by the fact that he is technically going behind Josh's back, sneaking around with Mindy, but it's rather exciting. And it's not like they're having an affair or whatever because Mindy and Josh aren't together, she's a free agent and fair game. His promise to Josh holds no water if there's no relationship for him to infringe upon. Besides, he's just trying to sort out his own feelings.

"Just to clarify, this isn't a date," Mindy states abruptly when she walks back into the living area.

"Of course not."

"I wasn't asking; I'm making sure that you know that this in no way whatsoever can be construed as a date, if that's what you had in mind."

He nods easily, grinning, "Okay. Not a date."

She glares at him, "Wipe that look off your face."

"Yes, ma'am," he says, letting the grin drop from his face as he follows her out. He holds the front passenger door open for her, closing it once she's buckled her seatbelt.

"Your hair looks different," Drake comments at a red light. "In a good way."

Her hair is growing rapidly and has a healthier shine than normal, "Hormones and pre-natal vitamins." If he's noticed her hair then he's surely noticed other things too. She wants him to say something so that she'll have an excuse to snap at him but he doesn't. Instead, he allows his eyes to peer out of their corners at her, occasionally angling downward, taking in her new cleavage. She can tell that it's killing him not to say anything and it delights her that he's suffering some, which is only fair considering what she's been going through for the past month and a half.

Their server looks like she's still in high school and she pretty much confirms that fact when she lets out a brief squeal when she looks at Drake, "Omigod! I mean, Oh. My. God. You're Drake Parker. I totes had the biggest crush on you back when I was in middle school. And I saw you when you were on tour a couple years ago! Oh, um, sorry, I'm not a crazy fan girl or anything, I've just never actually met someone who was famous before."

Mindy bites her lip to stop herself from saying that the girl still hasn't but Drake is clearly flattered by the attention so she lets the searing comment slide. He's like a preening peacock. The girl calms down remarkably and finishes taking their order. Once the server leaves their line of vision, Drake turns his attention back to Mindy, "Go ahead."

"What?"

"I know you, Mindy. If you're not thinking something disparaging about that girl then you're thinking it of me. Go ahead, I can take it, whatever it is."

"I would but right now I'm trying to comprehend the fact that you know what the word disparaging means and used it properly."

"You're cute when you're baffled," he smirks.

"Only when I'm baffled?" There's a twinkle in her eyes and it takes her a few moments to realize what's going on. She gasps, looking mortified, "I am not flirting with you. That did not just happen."

He looks so smug, "Of course it didn't."

"I really don't like you right now." She draws her lips into a tight line and reminds herself that they are friends and they're going to remain in the friend zone for the duration of her pregnancy and until their child reaches adulthood. She has to be stern with him so that he doesn't get the wrong idea.

"How was your date with Josh last night?"

"Don't act like you didn't ask him," she says, taking a sip of her juice.

"I did. I'm trying to figure out if it's lame or awesome that the baby's cock-blocking from the womb."

She gapes at him, "What did you just say? Did you just imply that my child is—I don't even—it's—don't be crass."

"Oh, think about it. The baby is trying to tell you that he or she would rather you didn't try to play house with Josh."

"Ah," she says, sitting back. "And I suppose you think that the baby would approve of you and I 'playing house?'"

"Naturally."

"You're full of it. The baby can't distinguish between when I'm with you and when I'm with Josh or anyone else for that matter."

"I think the baby knows."

"I highly doubt that the baby is capable of that level of cognitive function at this stage."

"You don't have to know something to feel something. Has anyone ever told you that you think too much?"

"Has anyone ever told you that you could benefit from thinking with your brain more?"

His eyes harden for a moment and he raises his glass to her, "Touché." He looks down, fumbling for the words to describe how he feels, "I'm not a complete idiot or manwhore. I just never cared in school. Learning and studying weren't my thing; music and girls were."

"And that is one of the reasons why we do not fit, Drake." She stretches her pinky finger out so that it brushes Drake's thumb, "I didn't mean to imply—"

He jerks his hand away and looks up at her, speaking in hushed words, "Yes, you did. You always do and you always have. It's you being defensive. When we were kids, it's because we were always insulting each other. Now, you're just trying to put space between us. I get it."

She's about to remind him that there is no 'us' as gently as she can but she sees the server approaching with their food. Mindy's almost halfway done eating when she notices that Drake is watching her, a weird look on his face. She stops and wipes her mouth with her napkin, "What?"

"It's like watching a show on Animal Planet where they show the predator eating its prey."

She looks offended, "I'm eating for two. _You're_ the one who dragged me out this morning, insisting that I have breakfast with you. Deal with it. I can't help it if the baby has a voracious appetite."

"Yeah, well, how about you start off by not starving it? I thought you said that you were taking good care of yourself."

She sets her fork down forcefully, "I'm always hungry, Drake, but it would not be healthy for me to be constantly eating, okay? I eat three meals a day and a couple of snacks. Baby and I are getting at least 2000 calories a day and our daily allotment of vitamins and other nutrients. I know that I wasn't when we first found out, but I am invested in our baby one hundred and ten percent, so you don't have to hover."

"I'm only hovering because I care. About both of you. I just want to know that you're both okay."

"I promise you, Drake, that you will be the first to know if either the baby or I are not doing well. I have a check-up this coming week, if you'd like to accompany me."

His response is immediate, "Yes."

She clears her throat, "I was thinking that after I go to the doctor that I would start telling people since I'm entering my second trimester. I don't know how you want to tell your parents—"

"Together. If you don't mind." He jokes, "You know, we could wait a little longer, have our families get together for Thanksgiving dinner, and tell them after the turkey's been carved. It'll be like ripping off a band-aid."

It is a joke. And breaking the news over Thanksgiving dinner, where there are going to be sharp knives, is begging for trouble. But it would save them both the trouble of having to rehash and explain what happened in Vegas over and over again. But it's just a joke. There's no way that either of them are going to suggest that their families get together for a holiday dinner and spring their impending parenthood on them. There's no way.


	8. Cradle Will Fall

**Note:** If you're trying to track the timeline/progress of Mindy's pregnancy, I'm using 10 months/40 wks = full-term pregnancy, including the two weeks prior to conception.

* * *

><p>The days leading up to Mindy's check-up pass without too much drama. In spite of herself, she exchanges brief flirtations with Drake, catches herself, then chalks them up to her increasing mood swings. She's spending more and more time at the Parker-Nichols home once again, in Drake and Josh's bedroom. It's never been this difficult or awkward before for her and Josh to be 'just friends.' There's a bizarre moment one evening, tucked between the longing glances he keeps casting at her, when he mentions that a co-worker has asked him out for drinks. She has to be a supportive friend because she cannot be anything more to him right now and she forces the words out of her mouth, that, yeah, he should go. It takes him a second to hide the disappointment in his eyes; he'd been hoping for more of a reaction.<p>

The day of Mindy's appointment arrives and the baby appears to be in perfect health, heart still beating strong and fast. Mindy's health on the other hand gives the doctor some concern; her blood pressure is elevated. It's not uncommon for some women to develop high-blood pressure during their pregnancies but it could lead to complications. The doctor wants to monitor her blood pressure closely for the next couple of weeks, to see if it is something that may cause problems down the road. Drake asks the doctor about the potential complications but she doesn't want to alarm them, only telling them that it would mean a higher chance of health risks for Mindy and the baby, including premature labor. The doctor wants her to avoid as much undue stress as possible to see if that helps lower her blood pressure at all. Mindy raises an eyebrow and gives Drake a warning look that says, 'You heard the doctor.'

Josh has a fit when they tell him of their plans to break the news on Thanksgiving. He points out that combining their families' dinners will probably have them expecting Josh and Mindy to announce that they're engaged, not that Mindy and Drake are having a baby. He begs them to reconsider. Megan's all for being entertained and agrees that it's best to just rip off the band-aid.

Drake mentions Mindy's blood pressure and the word 'complications' and Josh stops fighting them. Drake watches Josh move towards Mindy, all puppy dog eyes, and he repeats to himself that he's backing off. He sees Mindy's shoulders sag, the tension easing, as Josh places an arm around her and she lays her head back against his chest. _Easy, hard, fair, unfair_.

When they were in high school, the lines between Josh and Mindy's friendship and romance were blurred from every angle. Generally, there was less kissing and cuddling and they were free to date other people when their relationship was of a platonic nature but the chemistry and desire to be together was always there, no matter how much they tried to deny it. The inklings of that same old pattern are still etched in their interactions with one another.

Drake's about to leave the room when Mindy calls out to him, "Take me home?" He perks up and nods, "Yeah."

Mindy and Josh hug each other good-bye and exchange pecks on the cheek. It's weird to see but it doesn't seem to bother them, not from where Drake is standing.

In his car, she gives no preamble, just, "Josh has a date tonight."

Drake is honestly surprised, "Really? How do you know this when I don't?"

"Josh and I talk," she says simply.

"Yeah, but, you and he, you guys, you both keep telling me how much you love each other and now he's off dating some random chick and you're okay with that? I really do not get you two."

"Look, Josh and I are fully aware of our love for one another but we have agreed that since I don't know how I'm going to feel in an hour, much less in six months, that a legitimate separation was in order. That means that Josh can date other people and I have to be okay with that."

It's a testament to his newfound restraint that he doesn't question if that means that Josh will be okay with her dating other people, him specifically.

Mindy steers the conversation to the topic of her parents and her brother. Drake barely knows her parents but he can clearly remember them as snobby upper-crust types, overly protective and extremely judgmental, who highly disapproved of Josh dating Mindy and disapproved of him being related to Drake even more. Mindy's relationship with Josh was something they tolerated, if only because he made her happy and wanted to give her the world. When it came down to the bare bones, no one that they didn't already approve of was going to be good enough for their little girl. The hole carved out for her in her family was rigid, with sharp edges, and while she was firm, she curved here and there. It's no wonder she's a little crazy.

Mindy doesn't know how they're going to react. Between their love for her and what is sure to be their disappointment at her predicament and their disdain of Drake, she's expecting anything from dismay followed by stoic acceptance to being temporarily disowned. She's preparing herself for the worst. Drake should be prepared for her father's wrath because, no matter now her dad treats her, he will want to kill Drake.

Then there are Drake's parents. If anything, what's going to upset them the most will not be Mindy's pregnancy, not since Audrey already expected as much, but the naming of Drake as the baby's father. That's going to be the real shocker.

Drake parks in front her apartment and Mindy has an urge to reach out and touch him. She unbuckles her seatbelt and tries to the open the door but it's still locked; she blushes, just a little, as she fumbles with the lock and the door. She doesn't trust the thoughts invading her mind. Her heart has never belonged to anyone but Josh and she's rarely entertained _thought_ of anyone other than Josh. She's really starting to hate no longer being in control of her emotions.

She pushes the door open, "Thanks again for taking me to the doctor and driving me home."

"My pleasure." His smile is genuine and he's oozing charm but it's not his intent and he's completely unaware that the charm is rolling off of him in waves.

"Good night," she says quickly, climbing out of the car as fast as she can.

* * *

><p>Thanksgiving arrives and it's been over a week since Mindy's morning sickness began to subside but she's feeling ill. It's her nerves and she knows it. She's had a simple, loose navy blue dress picked out for days. She sits in her car outside of her parents' house, her fingers passing over the double strand of pearls around her neck and she feels like a little girl again. She's spent the past few weeks making excuses as to why she can't make it to their family dinners and why she can't attend church with them. She hasn't spent a significant amount of time with her parents or her brother since she found out that she was pregnant. She takes a deep breath, both hands pressed to her midsection as if she's seeking strength from her unborn child, and slowly exhales.<p>

It's just before 2:30 in the afternoon when she unlocks the front door and glides into the house wearing a small smile. Her brother is setting the table in the formal dining room, her father is in his office, and her mother is in the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on dinner. It's easier for her to assist her brother with preparations than to field questions from her mother or father. Her brother's applying to colleges so she can make their conversation about him and he'll allow it.

Mindy greets the Parker-Nichols family when they arrive at approximately 2:47 p.m. and she ushers them to the living room to wait.

Drake catches her hand in the foyer, pulling her aside, out of view from his parents. He whispers, "Hey, you doing okay?"

"Right as rain," she says with fake cheer. She glances towards the archway that leads into the living room, "I'll be fine as soon as we get this over with."

Josh steps into the foyer and Drake and Mindy pull their hands away from each other. He's still holding out hope that they're going to change their minds, "Still going through with this?"

Drake nods and Mindy answers, "Affirmative."

Mindy returns to the kitchen to help her mother carry the food into the dining room. As Mindy places one of the gravy boats on the table, she notices her mother scrutinizing her.

"You've done something different with your hair."

She breathes an internal sigh of relief, "I'm letting it grow out."

At 3:00 p.m. sharp, the Crenshaws and the Parker-Nicholses gather around the table and say grace. Mindy's father carves the turkey and everyone begins making small talk. Her father makes a pointed remark about Mindy being so distracted that she doesn't have time for her own family and sends a dirty look Josh's way. Her mother looks at her father and calls him, "Dear," in such a way that Drake knows that Mindy inherited wearing the pants in her relationships from her mother. Walter makes a comment about how good the food looks and thanks Mindy's parents for opening up their home to them. Mindy's father sits and the serving dishes are being passed around the table.

There's a break in the small talk and Mindy says, nonchalantly, "I'm pregnant. Can you please pass the green beans?"

Drake, Josh, and Megan's movements slow while everyone else's halt. There's the muted clatter of a fork hitting the tablecloth and no one says anything for several seconds.

A vein on the side of her father's neck starts pulsing and he glares at Josh, "I always had my doubts about you and your family and what sort of influence you had on our Mindy. You got her in trouble on purpose, didn't you?"

"Don't you talk that way about my son," Walter says, his never before seen backbone making an appearance. "Josh and Mindy are adults and they've been together for a long time. To be honest, I think that we should all be grateful that this is the first time something like this has happened."

Mindy's mother has her own two cents, "Our Mindy was a good girl before she got involved with Josh. We raised her properly. He seduced her."

"And how do you know that she didn't seduce him?" Audrey casts a quick look at Mindy and Josh before continuing, "Not that any of that matters, they are clearly in love with each other and Walter and I will supp—"

Mindy and Drake are sitting across from each other and their eyes meet. She speaks loud enough so that she can be heard over Audrey, "Josh did not get me pregnant."

Her father says, "Of course he did, Mindy; you just told us that you're with child."

Her eyes land on her plate, "It's not Josh's child."

Walter looks at his son, "Josh?"

"It's not my baby, Dad." He makes a show of placing his hand over Mindy's on top of the table.

"I don't understand. Why would you bring our families together and tell us that you're pregnant if Josh isn't the baby's father." In Audrey's head, it's playing out like Wheel of Fortune. She see the letters that have been revealed and they make sees but she can't say the words yet because there's still a level of uncertainty.

Drake finally speaks up, standing, "Because I'm the baby's father."

"No."

"Mom—"

"No. Drake Jared Parker, you may be a lot of things, but you are not the type of man who would break your brother's heart—not like that. Not with her. Drake…."

Mindy's mother shakes her head, "This uninspired directionless slacker, honey? Is his IQ even in the triple digits?"

"Mother!"

Her father's voice booms, "Don't take that tone with your mother, young lady!"

The chaos hits then. There's yelling and screaming, seats being pushed back from the table, standing, shouting, finger pointing and jabbing. Words like "disgraced," "hussy," "male slut," "dog," "loser," "stuck-up," "pig-headed," "not good enough."

There's so much hostility and tension and now they know, this is what Josh was trying to warn them about. Megan's tempted to start pelting them all with food.

It has been building but the intensity comes all of a sudden, the sharp, blinding pain in Mindy's head. Throbbing. Her heart's pounding. Her vision becomes fuzzy and it feels like everything's happening in slow motion. Her brother, who hasn't spoken a word since her announcement is the first to notice that something's wrong when her body stiffens in the moment before she pitches forward and crumbles to the ground.

There's a flurry of movements, gasping, shouting. Megan's the first to have the presence of mind to call for an ambulance. They can hear the approaching sirens as Mindy begins to regain consciousness and she's confused and she feels…_off_. They're fussing over her and she doesn't know why she's on the floor or why her brother is holding her. Panic and fear are surging through Drake's body and the medics are asking them questions, trying to ask Mindy questions but she can't tell them anything because she has no clue what's going on and she's growing more and more anxious and she can feel herself going back under. One of the medics says something about 'hypertensive crisis' and they shift into overdrive to transport her to the ER.

The Crenshaw and the Parker-Nichols families travel in a caravan to the ER. They wait in tense silence for a few hours. Drake and Josh wring their hands and their family alternates in comforting them. Mrs. Crenshaw is on the verge of tears, wringing a handkerchief and clutching her pearls.

Drake rises when he sees Mindy's OB-GYN walking towards them.

The doctor explains, "Mindy's blood pressure spiked, dangerously so. We've got her on an IV and the medications we're giving her appear to be working. We will be keeping her until her blood pressure reaches a healthy level."

"And the baby?"

The doctor hesitates, her tone changes, "The baby's heart rate is a little lower than we would like it to be. We are monitoring the fetal heart rate as well."

The implication that all is not well is there.

The doctor continues, addressing the group, "Someone will let you know when you can go in and see her."

It's another two and a half hours before a nurse steps off the elevator and scurries over to them, "You came in with Ms. Crenshaw? She's asking for Drake."

He looks surprised, her parents look affronted, "Me?"

"Yes, sir. Follow me."

Mindy's in a small room, the back of her bed raised at a forty-five degree angle. She looks tired and pale, worn down, IV inserted in the back of her hand. Wires from under her hospital gown lead back to the fetal heart monitor sitting next to the bed. Her eyes brighten when she sees Drake, "Hey."

"Hey. How are you?"

She shrugs, "I have been better. I can't say that I've been worse. What did the doctor tell you about the baby?"

"Just that they're monitoring it."

"You really do want this baby, don't you?"

"I think I've made that pretty obvious."

She gives him a short nod. "For the duration of my pregnancy, I am going to name you as my health proxy. If, later on, there is an issue with my health and the baby's, if there are complications, and I am not in a state to make decisions regarding treatment…don't feel guilty about choosing the baby over me."

"What?"

She speaks deliberately, "If you have to choose between trying to save me or the baby, you should choose to save our child."

He can't even begin to comprehend what she is telling him to do. "Mindy—"

"It's a possibility, Drake, not a big one, but it is a possibility. We should be prepared."

He scrunches his face up, "I don't know if I could do that."

"Are you afraid of me, Drake?"

"Yeah, kind of."

"If you do not following my wishes, I will make your life an absolute living hell."

Drake deflates. He can't bear the thought of losing either of them and if he had to choose, he doesn't think that he could. It's not his decision to make, he rationalizes; Mindy has already made up her mind. "Are you sure that's what you want?"

"If I change my mind, you and my lawyer will be the first to know."

Drake eyes the fetal heart monitor, "What if the baby doesn't make it?"

She looks determined, so sure of herself, her hands circling her lower abdomen, "No, he or she is going to make it through this so-called crisis. We'll be okay. Just, if there's a problem later, I want to know that they'll have the best chance. I know I can trust you to do what's best for our baby."

He smiles for the first time since dinner was served, "You trust me?"

She looks down for a moment before grabbing his arm and pressing his hand to her stomach. She answers, "Where the welfare of your child is concerned, yes, completely."

It's too early for him to feel any movement, they both know it, and Mindy hasn't even detected the baby moving for the first time yet. He can feel how her stomach's beginning to harden. He knows this, he's read about this; it has to do with her uterus growing.

The nurse peeks into the room, "Excuse me."

Mindy nods at her and the nurse closes the door. "You should go. They don't want me having visitors just yet, not with what happened; not until they've brought my blood pressure down lower. I argued that, as the baby's father, you had every right to check on us personally."

"Thanks."

He starts to move away and she catches his hand and pulls him down low enough so that she can raise herself up with minimal effort and kiss him softly, her lips lingering on his. She lets go of his hand and settles back down.

"Thanks for not leaving me alone."


	9. More Than This

The temporary bed rest the doctor places Mindy on is almost like a prison sentence. She feels like she's under house arrest. As much as her parents loathe the situation that she is in, they are more than willing to keep her at their house and chauffeur her around town for as long as the doctor wants her off her feet. Mindy is their daughter and while they are struggling to come to terms with her pregnancy, her mental and physical health are their utmost concern. They rarely ask about, let alone mention, the baby. Mainly her parents drop hints about adoption, as if she's not an adult or it's an absurd notion that she raise the child herself, with Drake. Her parents have made it perfectly clear that Drake ("that irresponsible and reprehensible entity") is persona non grata at their house and they are reluctant to let Josh inside but since he knows how to keep his hands to himself, they are willing to allow his visits.

When he has time, Drake sneaks by during the day while her father is at the office, if her mother is out volunteering or lunching with friends.

She's at the dinner table with her family one evening when she feels a weird sensation, like a ripple or a fluttering inside. She excuses herself and hurries into the downstairs bathroom and calls Drake. He answers after the third ring and she practically squeals, "I think I just felt the baby move."

_"Are you sure it wasn't just gas? I read that sometimes—"_

"Drake, I am trying to share this moment with you."

_"I know." _There's a pause. "_Hey, can I come over? Are your parents home?"_

"They're here. But, you can still come over after they turn in for the night. You might not be allowed in the house but they didn't say anything about the back or front yard."

She returns to the table and she feels a bit appalled and intrigued by her rebellion against the rules her parents have set forth. If years ago, when she had to live by their rules, they had forbade her from dating Josh, she would have honored their wishes until she was old enough to not need their permission to follow her heart. Now it's as if she had Drake are star-crossed lovers. The mere thought causes laughter to bubble up inside of her and to escape from her lips. Her family looks at her funny and she apologizes.

Her parents go upstairs just after ten; her brother works on his homework. She and her brother have never been particularly close but they get along well enough. Unlike her parents, he talks to her about the baby and what she plans to do. She doesn't tell him about Drake's visits because she knows that he'll say something to their parents and she wouldn't want him to lie for her anyway.

Around eleven, she sends Drake a text. It's a good walk from the Parker-Nichols house to the Crenshaw residence; they wouldn't want the motor of Drake's car disturbing Mindy's parents and alerting them of his visit. She waits, lounging on the swing in her mother's garden in the backyard. She hears the rustling of branches signaling Drake's arrival. He steps out of the bushes, brushing leaves off of his clothes. "You know, you could have walked through the front yard."

"This way was quicker," he says, offering her a goofy grin. He joins her on the swing, "Have you felt the baby move any since earlier?"

"A little." She gives him a stern look, "It's not gas."

"Hey, I was just checking." His hand slides over the slope of her expanding abdomen. "When do you think I'll be able to feel it?"

She shrugs her shoulders, "I don't know. Maybe in a couple weeks, maybe longer."

In the little moments like this, it's almost like they're a real couple. They've both always been so self-assured and in control but there's always this uncertainty when they're together. Mindy compartmentalizes and she likes everything properly labeled yet this defies labeling, it's hard to even describe. There's an intimacy in their silences during his clandestine visits, his hand always lands on her stomach when they're talking about the baby and sometimes it stays there. They're still stumbling about. She doesn't want to want him or need him but that no longer seems to matter. She's taking preventative measures, placing her heart high up on a shelf, because she refuses to let her heart be broken by Drake Parker. She won't deny that she's starting to care for him but she will not admit that love is any closer than light years away.

And she hasn't forgotten about Josh, she can't, for a variety of reasons. He's there and he's not there, he holds her hand and he kisses her cheeks and her forehead. These chaste kisses whisper that he's still there and he's still waiting. She feels bad because she can't tell him to let her go—she doesn't want him to. She can't tell him that her feelings towards Drake are changing, that there is more to him and her. In all the years that she has known Drake, he has always hated the labels associated with relationships. Labels have been more than enough to cause Drake to cut his losses and sprint for the nearest exit in the past. Now, Mindy is the one who's balking at the prospect of putting a label on what they are and what they could be.

Not that Drake ever tries to bring the subject up, not verbally anyway. He kisses her gently, prodding her with his lips to acknowledge that something is happening between them. He doesn't want to rush her, he just needs a sign, confirmation. It's almost enough that she easily melts into his kisses, no longer hesitating or pulling away abruptly. Slow, tender kisses that normally end before Mindy wants them to. He's holding back and Mindy appreciates that he's treating her with respect, waiting for her approval to move things further.

She lays her head on his shoulder. "I cannot wait to be back in my own apartment next week."

"Yeah, I'll bet." Drake weighs what he's about to say. "You know, if you don't want to stay here until then, I could spend a few nights. On the sofa."

She turns her head slightly, "You've spent enough time in my apartment to know how small it is, Drake. Sometimes I don't feel like there's enough room for me, there's certainly not enough room for another adult. There's no room for the baby." She groans, "I'm going to have to start looking for a bigger place soon."

"We could get a place together. It would make things easier."

She lifts her head and stares at him, "What would it make easier?"

"Us co-parenting. I can't help with 2 a.m. feedings if we're living in different places."

"Drake—"

"I'm not trying to trick you into anything. This is just about our baby, I swear."

"Either way, Drake, moving in together to a huge step. I mean, we just started—we are just getting used to this life-changing event. If things between us were to revert to normal after the baby's born and we're stuck living together—"

"It was just a suggestion, Mindy. You don't have to get your panties all in a bunch. And I would just move out."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean—"

"I know," he cuts her off. "I should go and you should probably get some sleep."

He stands and holds out his hands to her. She raises an eyebrow as she places her hands in his so that he can pull her up, "I don't have a problem getting up yet, but thank you."

He smirks at her and kisses her on her cheek, "Good night, Mindy."

"Night, Drake."

* * *

><p>After the two weeks of prescribed bed rest, Mindy has never been so happy to be back in her own apartment as when the doctor tells her that she still needs to take it easy but that she can resume her normal day-to-day living. She has missed her freedom, the ability to come and go as she pleases, and entertain whomever she wants. The baby isn't treated like a dirty little secret at her place and she can be giddy when she feels it moving. She feels the rush of a thrill when she tugs Drake closer to her as they make out on her sofa.<p>

Mindy notices that the baby's more active when Drake is around, whether he's touching her or talking to her or talking to the baby.

Maybe her mind is clouded by lust but she tells him between kisses, "I'll consider moving in with you. If you land a steady job."

He pulls away, "Seriously?"

Her arms are still around his neck, "Yes, I will seriously consider it."

"When you say a 'steady job,' what exactly do you mean? I do okay with the money I make from being a professional musician."

She chuckles, sliding her hands down his chest before pulling them onto her lap, "Okay, Drake, do you have any idea how much it costs to raise a child from birth until the age of eighteen? On top of all of that, rent, bills, groceries, car payments, car insurance, emergencies—the cost of living. Most of the money you make is from touring, Drake, and let's face it, you're not exactly a hot commodity anymore." She holds her hands up, "I'm not saying that to be mean. And your fans are loyal, I will give them that, but whenever you release another album, there's no guarantee that you'll make any money off of it."

He scoots away from her, "Are you saying that you want me to give up my music?"

"No! No, I'm saying that you need a more dependable form of income if you want me to consider cohabitating with you."

"So, what, is that like a deal breaker?"

"In regards to us living together, yes." She's not going to stop _this_ with him if he doesn't want to get a 'real' job. Unless he's obnoxiously bullheaded about it.

He sits back, contemplative. "I've never wanted to do anything else. I've always just wanted to be a kick ass musician."

She leans closer to him, placing her hand over his, "And you can be. Just as long as you can also contribute your fair share." She sits up straight, "Unless you're having second thoughts. If you are, that's fine and we'll forget about us maybe moving in together."

"I'm not having second thoughts, I just—I don't want to work some lame 9 to 5 job and have to wear a suit all week except for casual Fridays."

"There are other jobs with more flexible schedules and relaxed dress codes."

He frowns, "God, is this what it's like to live in the real world and be an actual grown-up?"

"Yes."

"This sucks."

She shrugs, "It's not so bad. You might find something else you like, something to do with music—you could be a deejay!"

"Do we have to keep talking about this right now? I think I'm losing my mojo." He squirms a little then he furrows his brow. "Hey, do you think that the baby will like my music?"

She softens, "Yeah, Drake, of course, the baby's going to love your music."

"Do _you_ like my music?"

She did not see that question coming. She stutters, "I, well, I wouldn't say…." She clears her throat and tries again, "It's not that I _don't_ like your music. It just does not appeal to my personal tastes. But! But, I can appreciate your musical endeavors and I will support them fully."

He narrows his eyes for a moment, "If you're trying to use big words and complex sentences to confuse me, you're doing a lousy job. You can say that you don't like it. It's not going to hurt my feelings. I've spent enough time with you to know that it doesn't fit your musical tastes or whatever."

"I'm just not a fan, okay? Is the only reason that I have any of your albums in the first place because Josh gave me copies? Yes. Honestly, I don't even think that I've taken them out of the plastic."

"So, wait—you've never even really _listened_ to _any_ of my music?"

She's a bit sheepish, "Aside from the few live performances I attended with Josh, not really."

He looks stunned. "That's worse than you telling me to get a job."

"Drake, don't be so melodramatic."

"I am not being 'melodramatic.' I have every right to be upset or dramatic. If you were an artist, like a painter, and I told you that I wasn't really a fan of your work but I had never actually _seen_ any of your paintings, wouldn't you be a little upset?"

"I don't know. Maybe." She sighs, "Does it really mean that much to you?"

"Yeah. If you're not going to like my music, you should at least listen to it first to see if you really don't like it, have something to base your dislike on. It might grow on you. You didn't like me and I'm growing on you."

She jokes, "Like a fungus."

He makes a face and shudders, "Ew."

She rolls her eyes and kisses him. "Fine, I will assail my ears and listen to your albums."

"That's all I'm asking." He steals another kiss from her before adding, "Well, not all…"

She knows that tone and she fixes him with a hard look, "What?"

He's needling, "You and me, where are we? _What_ are we?"

"We're friends."

"I think we're a little more than friends, Mindy. I don't make out with my friends, do you?"

It takes her a few seconds to respond, "I try not to make a habit out of it."

"Well, _we_ seem to be in the habit of making out."

She inches her hand over to his and laces her fingers through his, "I am quite aware of that, it's a habit that I'm fond of." She squeezes his hand. "And I enjoy the rest of the time we spend together."

He's not going to let this go anymore. "But?"

"I'm still trying to figure it out. I don't want to commit to there being an 'us' only for things to change after I have the baby." She's growing exasperated and she pulls her hand away from his.

"But you admit that there could be an 'us.'" It's not entirely a question nor a statement.

"Drake, you know how I feel about us having this discussion. I'm not ready for it yet."

He slaps his thighs and rubs his hands on his leg. "Okay. Well. That settles that."

"Settles what?"

Drake stands up, "I can't believe that I, of all people, am saying this, but, you are cut off."

She springs to her feet, baffled, shocked, "What?"

"Until you're ready to admit that you and I are a helluva lot more than friends, there will be no more," he gesticulates wildly between them, "'us' not being an 'us' and making out! I don't want to use you and I don't want you to use me!"

"I am not using you and I don't think that you are using me. Drake, I know you care about me, and I care about you and you know that I do. Can't that be enough for now?"

"No. I've spent years being with girls that I didn't feel anything for, some of them only wanted to be with me because I'm sort of famous, and I can't do that anymore, not with the baby on the way. So, no more playing around; I am done being that kind of guy."

She hooks a finger through one of his belt loops, her eyes beckoning him to take a step closer and kiss her, "Even if I _want_ you to be that kind of guy right now?"

"No."

No? She tries another approach and pouts a little, "Drake…."

"I am not Josh, that won't work on me. I will not be swayed or tempted by your—your feminine wiles. I might be easy but I am _not_ that easy."

She snorts, "Yeah, we'll see about that." He's being completely serious and he is not budging. "Drake, come on!"

"No, Mindy, I'm putting my foot down. You have no idea how difficult it is for me to do this but it's your fault. There will be no more fooling around until you tell me what I need to hear."

"I just said that I care about you!"

"Caring is not enough."

_Sometimes love just ain't enough._

"Drake, you are being ridiculous!" She purses her lips then squares her shoulders, "We both know that you are going to change your mind."

Drake places his hands on his hips, taking his own defensive stance, "Yeah, well, until one of us caves, you're still cut off."

She glares at him, "Oh yeah? Because I'm pretty sure that Josh will have _no_ problem picking up where he and I left off!"

"You wouldn't!"

"Wouldn't I?"

"You are so infuriating!"

"No more than you!"

The air is humming with electricity around them and it takes every ounce of strength for Drake not to grab Mindy and kiss her senseless. He grunts then turns of his heel and storms out of her apartment.

Her nostrils flare, the door slams and she lets out a frustrated groan as she flops down onto the sofa, pummeling the cushions with her fists.


	10. Holding In and Holding Out

Mindy is just as stubborn as Drake and as much as she wants him, and she _really_ wants him, she refuses to back down first. She has no idea how Drake's doing it, resisting every seduction technique in her arsenal, and it's getting on her nerves. He doesn't stay nearly as long when he comes over and he sits a respectable distance away from her yet close enough that he can reach out and touch her stomach. It's the most physical contact he initiates or allows between them; he doesn't hold her hand or put his arm around her. Her hand lands on his leg one evening and he lifts her hand off his leg, reminding her that they're 'friends.' He manages to not sound bitter but arrogant when he says it and she wants to hit him. She misses his touch, she misses his kisses, she misses the closeness.

Drake wants to touch her and hold her and kiss her. If he could read her mind, if she were predictable like most girls he's known, he wouldn't be doing this, he wouldn't have to. Christ, he wants a real relationship with her and it scares the hell out of him. He gets it, if she's scared too, but what if she is just biding her time with him? What if she's already planning to run straight back into Josh's arms after she has the baby?

He knows that things with her and Josh are strained, as is his relationship with Josh. Josh isn't blind and he's not an idiot, he knows that Drake and Mindy are spending a lot of time together, that Drake doesn't go out on dates or randomly hook-up anymore, and Mindy's trying to encourage him to date other women during their separation.

Secrets and lies. If they could all just be honest and open with each other…. One day, Josh _could_ be happy for them, so could the rest of their families.

Drake and Mindy know each too well and not well enough. She can't tell him what he wants to hear and he can't tell her what she needs to hear because she won't tell him what that is. Now, without the physical aspect as an outlet for their hidden emotions, their relationship is stalling once again.

When Josh—Josh_, not _Drake—tells her that he and Drake are going out to 'cruise the club scene' she is amused at Josh's choice of words, annoyed that Josh is the one who told her, and worried that just because Drake's not making out with her doesn't mean he won't make out with some skank. This has to be the longest dry spell Drake has ever endured; it can't be too much longer until he has to sate his desires. Can't change a leopard's spots, right?

Drake isn't going out on the town with Josh in hopes of making Mindy jealous, he's going because he needs distraction and some fun. He needs to get into a little trouble with his brother and best bud. He needs some guy time, he needs to feel like he's still got his game. If he gets any numbers, he'll just throw them away or pretend to put them in his phone.

On the way to the club, Drake tries to push thoughts of Mindy to the back of his mind. It's easy at first because Josh doesn't mention her name. It's just like old times, before Mindy was a fixture in their lives, back when neither of them saw her as human or as a girl, when they both hated her. It's too much to hope that they'll make it through the night without either of them bringing her up; it's impossible.

They've been out for a few hours and they're having a good time but when Drake turns down the third girl that blatantly hits on to him in less than an hour, Josh can't stay quiet. "You feeling okay, Drake?"

He shrugs, "Yeah, I feel fine."

"You sure? You're acting a little strange. I don't think you've checked out a single woman since we got here."

Drake half shrugs, "I'm not looking to score tonight." In his head, he adds, 'Not with anyone here, anyway.'

"It's not just tonight, Drake. You've been acting differently towards women for a few months now. You don't really go out, you don't talk about whoever you're dating or whatever you're doing, your phone's not always ringing off the hook. This thing with Mindy's really affected you, hasn't it?"

"If by 'thing' you mean 'baby,' then, yeah, it has affected me." He takes offense at Josh's choice of words. "I'd like to be a good role model for my kid. If it's a boy, he should know that girls are more than potential notches on bedposts. And if it's a girl, I pray she never comes across a guy like me. I'd have to kill him."

Josh grins, pats him on the shoulder, "Wow. Look at you, future Father of the Year." Josh takes sip of his drink and focuses on his glass. "So, how are you and Mindy making out?"

Drake's drink goes down the wrong way and he starts gagging and wheezing, Josh thumping him on the back. "What?"

"How are you getting along?"

Drake coughs, "No, you said 'making out.'"

Josh nods. "Yeah, it's just a different way of asking how things are between you two, if you two are still getting along. Why are you freaking out?" The wheels have been turning. A light comes on. "There _isn't_ anything going on between you two, is there?"

He doesn't want the answer to that question, even though he already knows deep down inside, he does not want to know.

Drake drops his head and sighs. He looks up at Josh, his eyes sincere, and quietly admits, with regret, "I like her, Josh. I like her a lot."

Josh hears him and then he _hears_ him. His face and voice tighten, "Son of a—Drake! You _promised_!"

He immediately goes on the defense, "I know but I can't help how I feel about her, I can't. Believe me, Josh, I have been trying to, we both have, and it is not working! You can't possibly think that I wanted any of this to happen."

Josh looks doubtful. He sniffs, "How do you know that it's not just because she's having your baby?"

"I don't."

Josh just wants him to see reason, "So then why are you even considering being with Mindy if you don't know if you really want to be with her to be with her? Don't mess around with her."

"I'm not messing around with her, okay! And if you two are so connected by your love or whatever, then I'm sure you know she's not exactly some naive fragile flower who needs to be protected from Big Bad Drake. Have you ever known Mindy to do anything that she didn't want to do?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

It's going to come out sooner or later. The annoyance and spite Drake is currently feeling towards Josh win over, "It means I haven't spent the past few weeks making out with myself!"

"What?"

Drake can't exactly backtrack, "Josh, I didn't mean for it to come out like that—"

"Mindy doesn't want to be with you," Josh snarls.

If there's no turning back, he might as well continue full steam ahead. "I think that she might, Josh. You should know that if she decides that does, I'm not gonna turn her away, I'm going to be with her."

"And why would she choose you over me? Why?" He looks and sounds so small. Injured.

"C'mon, Josh, you know that things haven't been the same between you and Mindy since—for months now. You've been so worried that I was just going to creep in and steal her away from you that you keep ignoring that I wouldn't be able to do any of that without her being willing. If you're losing her, that's not my fault, and you're just going to have to accept it."

"It is your fault! The first time in your life that you decide to act like an 'honorable' guy and you're constantly plunging a knife into my back! Perhaps it was my fault, assuming that our bond was strong enough to keep you from trying to get into Mindy's pants in the first place, but was it really too much for me to actually ask that you retract your claws from my girlfriend _after_ you knocked her up?"

"Hey, I never tried before and I was not trying in Vegas! By the way, newsflash, Joshy: I have been a perfect gentleman recently; _Mindy_ has been the one trying to get into my pants. Yeah. How do you like that?" he finishes smugly.

It's too much for Josh to process and something snaps. He takes a swing at Drake. In hindsight, after they've been pulled off of each other, Josh sporting a busted lip and Drake a black eye, and are being read their rights, Drake will admit that maybe he did deserve to get hit. Hell, Josh should've hit him when he found out that Mindy was carrying Drake's baby. After much grumbling, they both declare that they're not going to press charges against each other, the responding officers tell them that they're still being taken in on pending disorderly conduct charges from the club.

Josh is still a little drunk and that's probably why he makes the mistake of calling Mindy and asking her to come pick them up once they're released after the club's manager declines to press charges.

"If either or both of you needed to be bailed out, I'd let you both rot for the night," she grumbles sleepily into the phone before hanging up. She takes her sweet time getting ready because Josh and Drake should both know better than to have called her.

She arrives at the jail, led by an officer to where Drake and Josh are waiting, looking like she's ready to wring both of their necks. "On the list of things that probably aggravates a pregnant woman's troublesome blood pressure is being called in the middle of the night by you two geniuses to get you out of jail. You're both idiots!"

"I wanted to call a cab," Drake says quickly, trying to deflect her wrath.

Josh looks at him in disbelief, "After everything else, you're gonna throw me under the bus too?"

Mindy looks at the officer, "You sure you can't keep them overnight? Maybe misplace some paperwork?"

The officer just smirks and leaves.

"I don't want to hear a peep out of either of you when we get to the car. And I am too tired to even bother berating you."

The car ride to the Parker-Nichols house is silent like Mindy demands; she doesn't even turn on the radio. She rolls down the windows, allowing the sounds of the night to serve as the background music. It makes the ride seem longer than it is. At every red light, Mindy glances into her rearview mirror at the brothers. They look reasonably chastened, being arrested probably had a lot to do with that, but she's still pissed at them, mostly for dragging her out of bed.

When she gets out of her car and walks into the house with them, she chalks it up to her increasing bouts of maternal instinct, urging her to make sure that they get in and settled okay. She pushes the front door closed and turns to face them. They're both standing just a few feet in front of her, looking at her, expectantly. Instead of waiting for her to say something, they both start ranting, trying to defend their actions and place the majority of the blame on the other. She can decipher only bits and pieces.

"Drake said that the two of you are practically dating and that I should just deal with it and he implied that you _want_ to be with him—"

"Josh couldn't handle the fact that maybe you're moving past your schoolgirl crush on him and that you and I are headed for something—"

"STOP IT!" Mindy composes herself, "I am still supposed to be avoiding as much unnecessary stress as possible yet you two seem to be intent on filling my life with nothing but stress. It makes me question how much either of you truly care about me or this baby if you're doing stupid immature, macho _shit_ like this and expecting me to inflate your ego or make you feel better afterwards. I can't believe that the two of you were acting like a bunch of kids, getting drunk and fighting." She takes a few deep breaths then addresses Josh, "How's your lip?"

He ducks his head, barely allowing his eyes to meet hers. She knows this maneuver of his well. "It stings a lot. You know, a kiss might make it feel better." He's mostly joking.

Drake is maturing by leaps and bounds compared to his old self. Instead of a physical or verbal outburst, Drake only half-rolls his eyes. Seriously, how do Josh and Mindy not get physically ill at how cutesy their relationship is? He must have missed something.

Mindy folds her arms across her chest, with an eyebrow arched high, and gives Josh a hard, unwavering stare.

It only takes several seconds of this for Josh to fold. "Or, you know, I could just put some ice on it."

"Sound like a plan," she says, her voice thick with sarcasm. "How about you do that with a quickness?"

Josh says something that sounds like, "Yes, ma'am," then scampers into the kitchen.

Drake is fucked. He knows that. If she's being this way with _Josh_, she's going to skin him alive.

"And you. You haven't learned your lesson with alcohol?" she still sounds angry.

"I wouldn't blame this on the alcohol." Maybe he imagines it, but it looks like her demeanor changes.

Mindy takes a couple steps so that there's only about a foot between them. Her eyes are filled with more concern than anything else as she raises her hand, letting it hover just centimeters from Drake's injured eye. "Does it hurt?"

_ I hope it hurts._

He shrugs, "It's not so bad."

Her fingertips just brush the side of his eye and he winches. She jerks her hand away, "Sorry."

"S'ok," he says, catching her hand in his. He strokes the back of her hand with his thumb, "Don't you want to know why we were fighting?"

Her hand tenses in his for a moment. "As it happens, I am quite sharp, Drake. I can put two and two together and get five."

"Huh?"

She shakes her head, letting the humor of just that tiny moment go over his head, "Never mind."

The kitchen door swings out and they immediately separate. If Mindy still kept a journal, she'd note that it's like Pavlov's experiments yet she can't recall having been conditioned. It must be instinct, guilt. Josh walks out, a towel full of ice pressed to his mouth.

Josh moves the towel a few inches away from his face, "Good night, Drake, Mindy." He leans over and gives her a kiss on the cheek before climbing the stairs.

As the sound of Josh's footsteps fades, they relax.

"I told him." Drake elaborates at Mindy's confusion, "I told Josh about us, well, not '_us'_ but, you know what I mean. I also told him that I really do want to be with you."

"Clearly he did not take it well," she says dryly.

"Nope. He needed to know, Mindy."

"I know, I know. There just hasn't been a good time to tell him, or the right words."

"He still needs to hear it from you. He needs to know that this isn't all in my head." The next thought comes out of his mouth just as it materializes in his head, in a rush, "I think I love you."

Mindy's eyes widen and her body stiffens, "You what now?"

It's a toss-up as to which of them looks more horrified at his confession. As if Mindy isn't skittish enough about defining their relationship.

Drake is most definitely shell shocked. He just said the "L" word, he does not do the "L" word; he's never had a relationship progress far enough, he's never let one. Mindy Crenshaw has broken him. Preparing to become a father has turned his world upside down. He decides to play it off, forcing a strained laugh, "Boy did that come out wrong. That is not what I meant to say. I don't even know where that came from. So, why don't we pretend that I didn't say that? You're cool with take backs, right?"

"Yeah, no, totally." It's not relief that she feels but disappointment and she does not hide it well. She resists telling him that she can't _un_hear it, that it may change everything.

He knows he's walking on egg shells. "I don't have to take it back if you don't want me to."

"No, no, take it back. It's cool."

"Are you sure?"

She starts to shake her head 'no' then she catches herself and nods, almost frantically, "Yep. Never happened." But it did and she already knows that it's going to haunt her and she's not going to be able to go back to sleep tonight because she's not going to be able to stop her mind from racing, playing this conversation over and over, analyzing it, theorizing over how it could have gone differently. She clears her throat, "You should put some ice on your eye."

"Mindy—"

"It's fine, Drake. You didn't mean it so there's no point it keeping it out there, especially if it'll only make things weirder between us."

She has a tendency to hear what she wants to, to misinterpret him. He's learning that he can't always allow room for interpretation with her. He makes sure to emphasize the right word, "I didn't mean to _say_ it."

'Take back the take back,' she thinks, 'take that back. Just take it back and we'll go from there.' There's a voice in her head yelling at her to just tell him so that they can stop doing this dizzying dance. She wants to let herself fall for him as just badly as she does _not_ want to fall for him. She rises up on her tiptoes and kisses him, short and sweet. "You should take some ibuprofen, too; it'll help with the swelling."

And she leaves.

It's not much but it is a small bit of progress and Drake will take it. There are fissures forming and spreading over the walls that Mindy has erected between them. _Love conquers all_.

Love.


	11. Falling into Place

**Notes:** So, from the extended outline, this should only be a little after the halfway point of this fic but after writing it and tweaking it, it kind of feels like this part could be the end. I'm not sure yet, and I could always potentially incorporate the rest of the planned parts into a sequel. Any and all input will be welcomed. If you think this is a decent conclusion for this story, let me know. If you want more, be it closure or development, be it in the form of this story continuing as is or spawning a sequel, let me know.

If this is the end, thanks for joining me on the ride. :-)

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><p>In the days that pass, Mindy and Drake dance around each other. Even though they're pretending that he never uttered the "L" word, neither of them can forget that he did. It's getting harder and harder for Mindy to validate her reasons for blocking Drake out emotionally—except that he took it back. She can't flirt with him and she can't make disparaging comments about him, not in his presence anyway.<p>

Surprisingly, Josh does not move back into the guest room because Drake can't always have things his way. Josh is being civil towards him, for the most part. No doubt due to Mindy's chat with Josh, because she's not in a place to choose between them, even though it's something she never would have considered, she can now see Drake as a viable option. Josh knowing that Mindy actually _might _reciprocate Drake's feelings may be the only reason why Josh isn't giving Drake the silent treatment.

Megan comes home for winter break and there is no joy to be found in making her brothers miserable, mostly because they're doing a damn good job of it themselves. She's really getting into the idea of being an aunt, and she will be the coolest aunt ever. She declares Mindy's other friends lame and points out the fact that Mindy needs to suck it up and just buy some maternity clothes already because her baby bump is only going to get bigger. In Megan's words, "I know it's not normally meant in this context, but, if you got it, flaunt it."

Mindy doesn't have any really close girlfriends, her mother has just accepted the fact that her little girl is going to be an unwed mother, and she's pretty sure that Audrey is only tolerating her because she's carrying the older woman's grandchild. She accepts Megan's invitation to go shopping, granted, Megan doesn't offer her any other options.

They go to a maternity clothing boutique and Megan is brutally honest whenever Mindy pulls something off a rack that she deems "hideous." Over the past couple of days, the baby's been becoming more active and sometimes, if Mindy pushes her hand hard against her midsection, she can just barely feel the baby moving against her hand. She hasn't mentioned this to Drake yet because she doesn't want to get his hopes up that he can feel the baby moving prematurely. While she's changing in the dressing room, Mindy feels the baby move and she can see the tiniest quivering. Seeing movement is new.

Megan makes a comment about the "stupid grin" on Mindy's face when the older woman comes out of the dressing room, beaming. Megan begs Mindy to let her feel the baby move before Drake does; she's never going to completely grow out of loving to torture her brothers. Mindy will allow it if the baby moves again while they're out. It does.

Mindy calls Drake and his phone goes to voice mail and Megan reminds her that Drake's in L.A. for the day, meeting with big wigs at Spin City Records to see if they want to keep him on the label and what ideas they have in mind for once again trying to resurrect his career.

Having built up an appetite from shopping and having another stomach to feed, Mindy is up for Megan's suggestion of an early dinner when they finally leave the boutique.

Megan doesn't pull any punches after the hostess shows them to their table, "So, which one of my stupid brothers are you currently favoring?"

"Excuse me?"

"Look, I know that Drake and Josh have been driving you crazy with their whole 'pick me, pick me' routines. Some people do baby pools, maybe I want to take bets on which guy you choose. By the way, Drake is the odds down favorite."

"You're taking bets on which one of your brothers I'm going to end up with?"

"Yeah."

"From who?"

"Classmates, hall mates. A couple of professors have gotten in on the action."

Mindy shakes her head, "I'm still trying to wrap my head around this. You're taking bets?"

"Yes. And while no one can say if they think that you'll end up living happily ever after with either of the dorks, most people are putting money on you being with Drake for the foreseeable future."

Mindy regards Megan with suspicion, her eyes narrowed, "You never liked me and Josh together."

"Oh, God, do not think that this is some weird quasi-incest thing, that's gross. I do not now nor have I ever had a crush on Josh." Megan gags, "Ugh, I just threw up in my mouth a little."

"Ew, oh, Megan, no, I just meant that, for whatever reason, you weren't supportive of our relationship. Now it seems like you're, I don't know, like you're hoping that Drake and I get together."

"Or maybe I'm hoping that you're going to see what's right in front of your face so that at least Drake will stop moping around before he starts playing his guitar and singing depressing love songs."

"He's moping?"

There's this hopeful almost starry-eyed look about Mindy when she asks and Megan just wants to shake her, or slap her, and tell her to open her eyes and stop being so stubborn and just tell Drake that she likes him or loves him or whatever the hell it is she's feeling for him. Megan sighs and rolls her eyes, "You are so far gone. I beg you, do something before I go back to school in three weeks. We can call it your Christmas gift to me. However, if you've already bought me another gift, feel free to give that one to me as well."

"Megan…"

"Do you want to be with Drake? I'm not asking you to declare your love for him or anything. I just want to know if you want to be with my brother. Do you?"

Mindy takes a deep breath, "If I am being completely honest, yes, I do want to be with Drake."

Megan starts by giving her a vaguely condescending smile, "Mindy, don't take this the wrong way, but: Tell him, you moron! Do you know how long we've all been waiting for him not only to grow up but to start using his brain and common sense? He is doing this for you and for that baby, so, for the love of God, put us all out of our misery already and just _tell him_!" She ends with a desperately pleading look in her eyes.

"It's not that simple—"

"Um, more like it's not that complicated."

"I still love Josh."

Megan does not care, the fact that she doesn't is written all over her face, "What's your point?"

"I love Josh?"

Megan shakes her head and sits back, "You know, sometimes I think that all the time you've spent with my brothers has caused some sort of brain damage. Of course, you still love Josh. The questions is: Are you still _in_ love with Josh?"

"Oh." _Oh._ "I don't know."

"Well, if you're not certain, chances are that you're probably not. I'd say that makes things a whole lot simpler, wouldn't you?"

"I think that everything would be simpler if I were a hundred percent sure of my feelings. Am I sure that I care about Drake and that I have feelings for him—yes. Am I sure of the extent of my feelings for him—no. Am I sure of my feelings, my love, for Josh—not as much as I thought."

Megan pouts, "Just remember whenever you and Drake start shacking up for real, that I was right."

"Sure thing," Mindy snorts sarcastically.

They spend the rest of dinner talking about the baby and how Megan's semester went, the classes she's taking in the spring, the fact that her mother is looking at and inspecting all of her children with new eyes. Audrey's asking questions, no longer taking every excuse or explanation that rolls off of Megan's tongue at face value.

Megan loves her brothers but she would be lying if she said that she loved them equally. She will always love Drake more than she loves Josh, maybe because blood _is_ thicker than water. Mindy is good for Drake, he needs her, more than Josh ever needed her in his life. All these years, Megan has been watching the three of them, and she never understood why Mindy had fallen for Josh instead of Drake. Yeah, she can see how Josh and Mindy could make sense, but Drake and Mindy make so much more sense to her. Why didn't any of them see it? Why was she the only one who could see the big picture?

Plotting, conniving, manipulating the situation and people around her to satisfy her whims—it's what Megan's good at. If it takes too long by her own standards for Mindy and Drake to get their shit together, Megan will take matters into her own hands. Josh will just have to deal and, if she has to, Megan will find someone to keep Josh distracted while she works her magic.

Mindy drops Megan off at the Parker-Nichols house, going in briefly to see if Drake is back; he's not. Audrey and Walter inquire about her health and the baby's health; Walter invites her to a holiday party they're hosting the week before Christmas and Audrey gives her a thin smile and says that she must come, that it won't be the same if she's not there. It's not that Audrey doesn't want her there, it's not that Audrey blames her, it's just easier to channel all feelings of negativity (disappointment) onto Mindy instead of Drake. Audrey knows that Drake has always fancied himself a ladies' man, even before he was old enough to comprehend what the title meant, and, though she's never wanted to acknowledge it, he's had a fair amount of success as a playboy since he entered high school.

Mindy returns to her apartment. She puts away her new clothes, she checks her phone, and she takes a bubble bath, trying not to dwell on her conversation with Megan or the fact that she's finding it harder and harder to deny how much she does want to be with Drake after all. She stays in the tub until the water is more cool than it is lukewarm and there are barely any suds left. The evening is wearing thin, she still hasn't heard back from Drake yet, and the baby has calmed down significantly. She's watching some random nature show, slowly starting to nod off, when there's a knock at her door. She blinks a couple of times before she jumps up and peeks out the peep hole. She runs her fingers through her hair, hoping that it looks all right, before she opens the door, "Hey Drake."

He shoves his hands into his pockets, a serious air about him, "Hey." He perches against the back of the sofa, waiting for her to say something.

Mindy suddenly feels self-conscious and smoothes out the fabric of her nightshirt. "How'd your meetings go?"

"They want to extend my contract, two more albums over the next five years."

"That's great!"

"They also offered me a spot on a college campus tour this spring."

"Oh." She wants to be happy for him, she does. "Congratulations!"

"After that initial mishap with my first contract, I learned not to go in blind to these sorts of things, you know, without my own legal team or without my own set of conditions." He clears his throat, "They wanted me to tour late February straight through the beginning of May."

He'd be gone for the majority of her last trimester. He could miss the birth. But this is what he's always wanted.

If you love something, set it free.

_Love._

Butterflies fly away.

All she can say is, "That soon?"

Her faith in him is still based upon a shaky foundation, waxing and waning. "I made a deal; no tour stops that require an overnight stay. If I have to miss a few things, small moments, that's okay. But I don't want to miss the important stuff. If you go into labor early, I want to be able to get here as soon as possible. I shouldn't miss it."

This is what it means for him to be a musician, touring, being on the road. It's what it's always meant, what it will always mean. He's not always going to be there and he'll be surrounded by girls and women who are prettier than her that are impressed enough simply by the fact that he is Drake Parker, Musician, and don't need promises and proof. She will lose him—not that she has him now because of their stalemate and her pride. Not that she ever truly had him to begin with.

She turns away from him, "So, what does that mean for us?"

He rocks forward, off the back of the sofa, "You made it pretty clear that there isn't an 'us.'"

She should just stop fighting it, fighting him, her feelings, her desires. Relax, release. Let him in; let love in. "What if I changed my mind?"

He walks around her so that they're facing each other, "Did you?"

"I may have."

"Mindy—" she grabs the front of his shirt in her fists and yanks him to her, their lips crashing together. Need. Want. His hands are on her hips, her tongue is sliding into his mouth, and she's trying to pull him closer and he's pushing his body against hers until her back hits the wall. She unballs her fists and her hands slide down and around, pushing Drake's hips away, just far enough so that she can unbutton and unzip his jeans. Some memory or feeling is triggered inside of her. It's like a slideshow, one that's out of focus and sped up, of sights and sounds and sensations. She can see Drake's brown eyes darkening, she can hear her own raucous drunken laugher, and she can feel their bodies coming together.

Sensory memories.

Is this how it happened before, in Vegas?

He grabs her hands, stilling them, and breaks the kiss so that he can look her in the eye and ask her, "Are you sure about this?"

She's still grasping at the flashing bits and pieces zooming around in her head, out of reach. _At the bar and on the dance floor, teasing touches here and there, lightning strikes. The backseat with tongues, teeth, fingers, flesh. Cold, cheap metal rings_. _Whispered secrets and suppressed desires. Sliding between the sheets. What happens in Vegas, stays—_

"Yes."

After that it's like they can't get close enough until they're both naked on her bed, and he's inside of her, their bodies eventually finding a steady rhythm, moving in sync. Their movements and the sensations are as familiar as they are foreign. He plays her body as expertly as he plays his guitar, creating an arpeggio of pleasure in her. Satisfied that she did not fake her orgasm, Drake focuses on his own release, removing his hand from between their bodies, quickening his pace. It doesn't take long before his body tenses, an explosion of lights and colors going off behind his eyelids, and her short fingernails are biting into his back. He manages to pull from her a soft, drawn out sigh before he relaxes on top of her for a moment. He kisses her deeply as he shifts off of her onto his side so that his body is still pressed against hers, an arm draped over her, waiting for their breathing and heart rates to return to normal.

She's flushed, they both are, her body still tingling, and she looks perfectly content, smiling as he places a kiss on her shoulder. She snuggles closer to him, "That was…"

"Yeah."

"It was nice."

He frowns, "I was thinking 'great.'"

She chuckles, "No, it was but it was nice too."

He's still hung up on her use of the word 'nice' because he made sure that it was more than nice. "So it was great?"

She rolls her eyes, "Yes, Drake, the sex was great." _Better than Vegas. So much better._ She still doesn't really remember but she knows, she senses, she feels.

"I know," he says smugly. "I just wanted to hear you say it."

"You're incorrigible."

"I'm not entirely sure that I know what that means but I don't care." He kisses her neck. "I bet me being incorrigible is one of the things you like about me."

"To a degree." The arm that's been draped over her moves so that his hand is on her midsection. They lay in silence for several minutes. Mindy turns onto her side, facing Drake, "Stay the night?"

"If you want me to."

"I'm asking, so, obviously, I want you to."

"Then I'll stay." After tonight, after what has to be a monumental change, he has to ask, "How would you define our relationship, Mindy?"

"It exists. _We_ exist."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

He's still trying to name this feeling and it really might be love. _This_. This thing that is changing him, shaping the man that he is becoming. This could be the realest thing that he has ever felt. He's both fearful and hopeful that he is falling in love for the first time in his life. And now that Mindy's finally letting him in, letting herself feel for him, he can entertain dreams of a future for them, as a family.

She's still a bit jaded but this has to be real, it has to be, there is absolutely positively no way that this thing between them is not real, that it does not mean a thing. It has to mean something (everything), it has to be something (everything). Perhaps they are not soul mates but they are something so much more than she wanted them to be, than she ever thought that they could be.

_They_ could be everything.


	12. A Christmas Interlude

**Title: **Shake the Glitter Off: Christmas Interlude

**Summary: ** There's nothing like a few holiday parties to test the resolve of a new couple.

**Notes:** Holiday inspired humor, fluff, and romance to make up for all the angst and to help segue into the sequel, which is tentatively titled Change of Seasons; not sure when I'll start posting it.

A mighty big thank you to everyone who's been reading this, whether you ever reviewed it or not! :-D

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><p><em>I'll greet you 'neath the mistletoe<em>

_Kiss you once and then some more_

_And wish you a Merry Christmas, Baby_

The week leading up to Christmas brings a schedule full of holiday parties to Drake and Mindy's calendars. Prior to their official "In a Relationship" status, they had respectively RSVP'd to parties at Spin City Records, Mindy's lab, and their families' parties; now that they are together, these four are the ones that they decide to attend together as a couple. If they're going to make a go of being a couple, then there's no time like the present and this holiday season to go public with their relationship.

Mindy has to set aside four different holiday appropriate outfits for these parties. She wants each one to have a Christmassy feel to it, so she sticks with shades of evergreen, red, gold, and black when pulling clothes from her closet and drawers. Drake is no help at all, more intent on getting her out of her clothes than getting her into more clothes. She's not complaining (much) until he pulls her onto his lap and asks her what she'd like for Christmas, nuzzling her neck. One of them has to have _some_ restraint, no matter how much time they're trying to make up for. It takes almost five hours and two post-coital showers until Mindy has successfully put together an outfit for each party after finally kicking Drake out of her apartment the third time he decided to try to help her out of her clothes.

The party thrown at the lab Mindy works at is the first and most lackluster. They spend a whopping hour there.

Most of Mindy's coworkers who have ever had more than a few conversations with her seem completely baffled by her coupling with Drake after just a couple of minutes because _he's a musician_ and he seems a little flighty and she is a scientist and grounded. She's a thinker and he's a—whatever he is. She's worn a top that compliments her growing stomach, which would be noticeable even if she weren't wearing a maternity top. Her blouse is sparkling and golden, offset by her black skirt, a small green and red Christmas pin on her blouse. It's like her ensemble is meant to say, "Merry Christmas, I'm pregnant, in case you didn't know."

They go by her apartment for her to change into a berry colored blouse that does not pronounce her pregnancy as much for her parent's party, pulling the headband from her hair and tossing it onto her dresser. She drags a brush over her hair before pulling her hair into a respectable low ponytail and running back outside and into Drake's car.

Her father, the successful businessman that he is, has rented out space at a hotel, per the norm. She reminds Drake to grab his jacket from the backseat as they're getting out of the car. He's screwed on first and second (and third and fourth) impressions with her parents but as long as they know he's making the effort—oh, who is she kidding, it won't make a damn bit of difference to them anyway and they both know it. Well, it might make a difference that Drake still hasn't taken off running for the hills.

Her parents prefer not to address Drake directly, even when he's standing right in front of them and it's so incredibly awkward. Mindy informed her parents that she and Drake were together, which, while it seemed to appease them about a tenth of a degree ("Well, at least he's willing to claim responsibility for his mistake for the time being. Hasn't that young man ever heard of doing the right thing? What sort of family teaches that illegitimacy is okay? The statistics alone—blah, blah, blah.")

Mindy drags Drake behind one of the numerous gigantic festively decorated trees, tucked between the tree and the wall, providing them with the most privacy possible, "I'm sorry."

He shrugs, "It's not like it's your fault that your parents are jerks. No offense. Shit. I probably shouldn't say things about your family, should I?"

"Well, all things considered, I love them; they are my family—no, no, just, yeah, no. Don't say anything about them. I have plenty of other ammunition to use against you whenever we fight, don't give me any more leverage, okay, sweetie?"

"'Sweetie?'"

"Unless you're okay with an insult as a term of endearment, you're going to have to accept that for the time being."

He wrinkles his nose, "What kind of insult?"

There are a few hateful words swimming around her head. Mood swings, hormones. "How about we just stick with 'sweetie' and other generic pet names for a while?"

"No 'Cupcake' or 'Pudding Cup' or any other dessert or snack related names, okay?"

"Drake...I would never call you anything that Josh and I ever called each other."

"Yeah, I'm just really not a fan of the pet names, especially not the saccharine ones." His face brightens, "Unless you call me Stud Muffin."

She furrows her brow and shakes her head, "I'll get back to you on that one. Let's get back to the party, shall we?"

They suffer through the next couple of hours, counting down the minutes until Mindy can sneak out without looking like a bad daughter. There's an uncomfortable amount of confusion to be cleared up with extended family members and long-time family friends because as far as they all knew, Mindy was dating a decent young man named Josh and they were heading down the road toward marriage—who is this Drake person and why has Mindy gained so much weight around her midsection? Drake has to admit that the look on people's faces when he tells them that he and Mindy just began dating after the several years she spent dating his brother, yes she is pregnant with _his_ child, and no, they are not married nor do they have plans to get hitched anytime soon is a great source of amusement for him despite the fact that Mindy looks about ready to throttle him with every passing second.

By the time that the party starts winding down enough that he parents are willing to excuse her absence (what they wouldn't have given for Drake's complete absence or early departure), Mindy would kill for a drink or three. It's not a thought that the baby appreciates because it starts bouncing, like it's using her bladder and kidney as a trampoline and she just went to the bathroom. The kid hasn't even been born yet and already it's taking too much after its father.

At the same time, the baby is taking after her, freezing whenever Drake's hands land anywhere on her stomach. Serves him right. She's not sure why it serves it him right but it does and she reminds herself of this every time he slides beneath the sheets on her bed and falls asleep, his arm hanging over her side, his hand splayed across her abdomen.

A couple of days later they drive down to Los Angeles for the party at the Spin City offices. The empress-waist spaghetti-strap evergreen bubble dress that Mindy wears, accented with a golden sash knotted just below her bust, drawing the fabric of the dress tighter, as if to emphasize the swell of her belly, and a black bolero jacket.

While Mindy's off en route to the restroom, again, Drake finds himself being accosted by an enthusiastic fan who just happens to be a new hire at the record company. Blonde hair, hazel eyes, full pink lips, C-cup, natural. If he weren't a reformed man. Dammit.

"—and you're my celebrity freebie. My husband would totally understand. I'm just putting that out there."

"You're married?"

"Yeah, almost one year, whoo!" she giggles, wiggling the fingers on her left hand and yep, matching engagement ring and wedding band set. "Anyway, he really would be okay with it. I'm just kidding—unless you're interested, in which case…." She trails off at the cool look she's receiving from Mindy who has just appeared.

Mindy steps into place next to Drake, wordlessly looping her arm through his. He looks so relieved and lets out a breath, "Oh, Julia—"

"Gillian—with a 'G,'" the girl corrects.

_Whatever._ "—I'd like you to meet Mindy, my girlfriend. I'm not really in a place right now where I can let someone cash in on me being their celebrity freebie. But thanks!"

The blonde's eyes widen as Mindy deliberately rubs her baby bump with her left hand while extending her right hand, "Hi." If looks could kill, the girl would have been dead before Mindy spoke. Julia-Gillian scampers off and Mindy says to Drake, "She seemed nice."

Times like this he doesn't know if he should be afraid of her or turned on. Normally, he's a little of both. "How do people not burst into flames when you look at them like that?"

"I've spent years wondering the same thing. Alas, of the many skills and abilities I have, pyrokinesis is not one of them."

"Well, just don't practice those looks on me."

She gives him a look he's just beginning to learn the meaning of before she rises on her tiptoes and whispers into his ear, "Oh, Drake, there are so many other things I'd rather practice on you."

Did she just—he blinks. "Do you want to get out of here? Because I am ready to go whenever you are. Whenever you're ready. Right now even."

She gives him a teasing smile, "Not just yet. I think we should mingle a little more."

She is evil. In an extremely hot way. One of these days, he's going to turn the tables on her again. When she least expects it. He applauds himself that he can coax her into the backseat of his car in a dark corner of the underground parking deck because it's really not fair that she has so much power over him. What kind of guy would he be to deny the mother of his unborn child anything? The worst thing about the backseat is that it doesn't lend well to cuddling (and as it turns out, Drake really likes to cuddle). It's much more wham, bam, thank you, ma'am—which, surprisingly, Mindy doesn't seem to mind at all. That night when they return to her apartment, they're both tired from their romp in the garage and the drive back and it doesn't take long for either of them to fall asleep.

The following night, the eve of Christmas Eve, is the party at the Parker-Nichols house. Black dress, green and gold accents.

It's possible that they imagine—but that they do is unlikely—the seconds of stillness and silence when they walk into the living room, holding hands and looking every bit the happy couple.

_Awkward_. So much awkwardness.

After several minutes of mingling as a unit, Mindy excuses herself and finds Josh hiding in the kitchen. "Hey."

"Hi."

"Are you okay?"

"Me? Oh, I'm just dandy! I mean, just because I had a problem with the _thought_ of you and Drake having hooked up does not mean that I am the least bit bothered to see the two of you all over each other. Yeah, I am just _thrilled_ for you two crazy kids!"

Mindy crosses her arms and leans back against the counter. "Wow, you really do not know how passive aggression works, do you, Josh?"

"Oh no, I get it—not caring! Not passive, definitely aggressive. I don't know if you caught all the bitterness—"

"Josh, a man on Pluto with no arms could have caught your big ol' ball of bitterness. I just wanted to know how you're dealing with all of this. I want us to be able to be friends again one day."

"Well, after the knife wounds heal, I fall out of love with you, and build up some scar tissue, maybe we can be friends then, I'll let you know." He leaves the kitchen without giving her a chance to respond.

A short while later, there's a wonderfully awkward moment when Helen realizes that Mindy's pregnant and tries to piece together why Mindy's now with Drake instead of Josh, not that she can blame her, until it dawns on her that, oh, it's Drake's baby but they _just started dating_ and she and Josh haven't been broken up that long and…oh. _Oh._

Helen could not disguise her shock if she tried, "Not judging. Well, congratulations and happy holidays. By the way, Mindy, as much as I like you, if you hurt Drake, I'll break your little scrawny ass. After you give birth, that it."

Megan flits about the party, casting smug looks in Drake and Mindy's direction. Internally, she's singing 'I was right, I was right' to the tune of "Jingle Bells." She stops beside Josh who is grumbling by the weather inappropriate bowl of wassail. Megan nudges him with her elbow, "Suck it up, Josh. Get into the Christmas spirit already, would you? Forget about everything for the next few days and pretend like it's not eating you up inside seeing them together. You might as well get used to it."

"I don't want to," he whines.

She pats him on the shoulder. "Poor sweet, stupid Josh; it's too bad that this isn't about what you want. And I don't think they're going to be breaking up anytime soon. Look at them, they're happy," Megan says, gesturing towards Drake and Mindy, his arm around her waist as they look at the tree, him pointing out the ornaments he made growing up. "Come on, Josh, 'tis the season; peace on Earth, goodwill toward men, and all that other selfless holiday crap. Go make nice with your ex and her new honey slash our brother slash her baby's daddy."

"What if I don't want to make nice?"

She narrows her eyes, "I know where you sleep. Don't ever forget that."

Josh reluctantly approaches the couple. He clears his throat and they turn around, "Hey guys."

Drake starts to drop his arm from around Mindy but then he remembers that she is with him now, a fact that Josh will have to get used to sooner or later. "Hey, Josh."

"How…how's it going? I haven't seen you around the house much the last few days. You get your own place and forget to tell anybody?"

Drake scratches his head, "I've been spending a lot of time at Mindy's."

"Yeah, but nights—" Josh stops, suddenly looking horrified. He sputters, "Wow, that was fast. I mean, I didn't know you two were that serious. How—you—good for you." He looks around the room, panicked and feeling like he's going to be sick, wanting to run, but he spots Megan glaring at him. He clears his throat, "Ahem. In the spirit of the season and under threat of who knows what kind of harm from Megan, I am willing to let bygones be bygones for the next couple of days."

"That's very big of you, Josh," Mindy says in a tone that neither Drake nor Josh can distinguish as sincere or sarcastic.

No one gives a wounded puppy look better than Josh does; it is a look he's perfected over the years.

Drake forces a chuckle, trying to help lighten the moment "Oh, you know, one day we're all going to look back at this time in our lives and we are going to laugh."

"I doubt that, but good try. B+ for effort," Mindy says, patting his arm. "Josh?"

"Yeah?"

She steps forward and kisses him on the cheek, "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," Josh says softly, enveloping her in a hug. He looks over her shoulder at Drake, still looking heartbroken. He lets go of Mindy, even though he hates having to, and gives Drake a brief man hug. "Merry Christmas, Drake."

"Merry Christmas, Josh." Drake and Mindy watch Josh walk away. When he's out of earshot, Drake says, "That wasn't so bad."

Mindy rolls her eyes. "Please, Josh would have preferred to have every single one of his teeth pulled with no anesthesia than to have had that conversation with us."

"Eh. Better than nothing?" he shrugs. He glances around the room quickly then grabs her hand and tugs her several so that they're standing under the archway of the dining area.

"Drake, what are you—" he firmly presses his lips to hers.

He pulls away, grinning, pointing up at the ceiling, "Mistletoe."

They're among the last to leave the party. Josh has already retired upstairs for the night and Megan is carrying the serving plates from the table back into the kitchen as Audrey and Walter bid a good night and Merry Christmas to the last of their guests.

They drive back to her apartment, listening to Christmas music on the radio, singing along.

They cuddle on the sofa, Mindy's back against Drake's chest, his arms wrapped around her, one hand on top of the other on her stomach. They're watching a cheesy sentimental Christmas movie about two people pretending to be a couple for the benefit of one of their families and the two inevitably fall madly in love over the course of a week. During a commercial break, Drake randomly asks, "Do you ever wonder what it's going to be like after the baby's here? Like next Christmas?"

"Well, next Christmas, I suppose we'll be formally living together—"

"And we'll have a real tree," Drake grumbles, eyeing the small three foot tall tabletop tree Mindy has sitting on her dinette table.

"And we'll have a real tree," she assures him before continuing. "And I don't know. We'll get the obligatory baby's first Christmas ornaments. A few cute outfits; maybe take a family portrait for Christmas cards."

"We'll take the baby to see Santa."

"Yes."

"And we'll have mistletoe."

"And stockings hanging over the fireplace that we never use."


End file.
